The Ringenkai Plant
by RubyRahxephon
Summary: Once again, the evil Naraku hatches yet another insidious plot and has Kagome infected with a mysterious poisonous seed that will kill her in a matter of five days. However, Inuyasha discovers that an antidote to the poison exists in the form of a plant.
1. The Past and the Present

Author's Note: Hello, Everyone! This is my very first attempt at an anime fanfiction, so I hope I've done a good job in keeping you readers interested! Normally I'm quite very shy when it comes to writing, but since I'm a big fan of Inuyasha and various other animes, and I've been inspired by a close friend named StarDustShadow to start writing my own stories! I really hope you like the first chapter as much as I've had fun writing it!

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 1: The Past and the Present

It was around 7:00 AM in the morning as the bright yellow sun shone its fierce rays upon the city of Tokyo, and the usual commune littered the streets as hundreds of citizens rushed to their workplace destinations. Not soon after the break of day had arrived, the prominence of one specific household had appeared upon view to clash along with its peaceful surroundings. Only one specific flight of many a stair could lead to a familiar residence known as the Higurashi shrine. Inside the nearby house one flight up, a loud ringing of an alarm clock erupted into the sweet dewy air.

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BRINGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Oh no!!! Not again! I'm gonna be SO late to school!," Kagome Higurashi yelled out in frustration upon shooting up from the comfort of her bed, the annoying constant blare of her alarm clock ringing through her small sensitive ears. Kagome uncaringly slammed her hand down on the snooze button, nearly damaging the device for nearly the umpteenth time in the past month. She hopped out of her bed and quickly rummaged through her dresser drawer, preparing herself to leave for school.

"And to think I have a HUGE math test today at that! It serves me right for spending a cram session late last night trying to remember the entire 42 chapters on trigonometry, physics, AND advanced algebra! What was I thinking!? I'm not a college party bozo who would even dare do these kinds of things!" Kagome huffed to herself, slipping out of her pajamas and into her usual green school uniform.

"That jerk Inuyasha! It was _his_ fault for making me go late to bed last night! If only he hadn't decided to drag me along to search for the jewel shard hidden in that silly cave. I mean, not that I was grateful we've managed to recover the shard from a particularly nasty six headed, ten clawed, four legged demon, but STILL..... it interrupted my studying time." Kagome said as she properly lifted up her green skirt, making sure that it fit properly just before fixing her hair at the last minute. "There! Prim and proper as usual! Not too shabby looking for a girl who rushed through her morning wake up call!" Kagome smiled, her beautiful visage reflecting off of the glass mirror she had in the interior of her closet. She hurriedly bounced down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she was greeted by her family.

"Good morning, Kagome!" Mrs. Higurashi said in a bright tone. "Would you like some breakfast?" she asked her daughter.

"Sorry, mom! Not right now, I barely even have time to brush my own teeth!" Kagome said as she ran into the nearby bathroom and proceeded to brush her teeth as fast as humanly possible. Her younger brother Sota Higurashi, peeked his small head through the slightly ajar door.

"Kagome, you know if you keep slipping up like this, you're bound to fail most of your classes and you'll be left back. You don't want something like _that_ to happen, don't you?" asked a concerned Sota. Kagome stopped in mid-brush and narrowed her eyes, slowly turning to look at Sota.

"Listen, Sota, I KNOW what I'm risking here! Is it my fault that I'm not doing to well in balancing my school work AND traveling to the feudal era at the same time? Its not necessarily a cakewalk, you know." Kagome said incoherently with the toothbrush hanging from the side of her mouth.

"I don't mean it like that, Kagome. I just mean I can't help but be concerned as your brother. I know getting the jewel shards is important, but what good is it when you find yourself left back a good three years in Junior High School? I don't think the younger kids will take a liking to a much older upperclassman who's failed three years in a row. Big mistake, I'm telling you." Sota said, sighing.

In retaliation, Kagome threw a bar of soap at Sota's head in annoyance. It violently bopped off of Sota's cranium. "OW!!! Aw, what was THAT for!? I was only trying to help!" Sota asked, rubbing the large bump on his head.

"For your information, I am NOT old, and second, I am NOT going to be left back three years! Just you wait, Sota! You're not the one stuck with the role of going between two different worlds trying to make ends meet!" Kagome yelled at Sota.

"Of course, of course! Kagome, you have the right idea. Collecting the shards of the sacred Shikon jewel is very important. Just as important as improving your study habits, I might add." Grandpa Higurashi came in, shaking his head.

"Um, Grandpa? Can we talk about this later? I have a math test first period, and I really don't want to ----" Kagome was cut off by the wave of her grandfather's hand.

"Ah, ah, ah!!! There's already no need to fear! I've already taken the liberty of calling the school and reporting to them your new case of tuberculosis. You've been coughing several pints of blood for the past few weeks, and the school decided it be best to cancel the test for you until you recover from the hospital. Ain't I a hero!?" Grandpa laughed, a red and white sunburst appearing behind him.

Kagome stamped her feet and ran up to her grandfather. "WHAT!?!? GRANDPA!!! Why do you keep making up all of this rare diseases nearly every week!? Keep doing this and I'm bound to catch a bout of cancer or smallpox or SOMETHING!" she huffed angrily.

"Smallpox? Hmm, that's a good idea! I'll save that excuse for next week. Cancer, I'll save for the week after." Grandpa said, his eyes closed as he nodded his head thoughtfully. Kagome could only stare back at him with a beady eyed expression, her left eyebrow twitching.

"_Is he even listening to me anymore?_" Kagome thought.

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Kagome sighed as she entered the school grounds, just barely five minutes from the main gate being closed. As most of the school's students hustled their way inside before the bell rang, Kagome was greeted by her group of girlfriends from her classes.

"Kagome! You're back! Did you finally receive that cure for the chicken pox that we've heard about?" one of her friends said excitedly.

"Kagome! I hope that pneumonia didn't get you too down this week, rumor has it that there's a new cute guy coming to our Science class today!" another friend chimed in.

"Kagome! I thought you had the mumps the other day! Geez, for a girl that gets so many sicknesses you sure recover quickly! I guess your grandfather whips up all sorts of herbal medicines!" another girl expressed.

"Things never change..." Kagome said, shaking her head. "_Right now a date with Hojo sounds like the ONLY thing that could make me feel better. Well, at least I don't have to take the math test. That's one notion to look forward to. Thanks, Grandpa._" she thought quietly, slowly smiling as she gazed up into the blue skies.

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"Goddamn it!" Inuyasha angrily tossed a fruit into the air and slashing it with a quick swipe of his claw. The fruit was neatly sliced into several smaller pieces as it landed in the dog demon's palm, where he then slowly ate each one. "We only had a few more jewel shards to collect near that last village we were at, and Kagome decides to run off and go study for her test or whatever again. Why can't she ever make up her mind what she wants to do? I tell ya, just thinking about it pisses me off." Inuyasha said, lying on his back perched upon the branch of a large tree in the middle of a big open field.

"You shouldn't get so angry, Inuyasha. I mean, its not the first time Kagome had to leave for her own time again. Its practically normal, and she necessarily can't stay here all the time, you know." Shippo said his little face peering up at the angry half-demon. Shippo was sitting up against the trunk of the tree, casually playing with a spinning top. "But I have to admit, even though it hasn't been very long, I miss her already. I can never seem to get used to her not being here, even if its for a day or two." the little fox boy said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

"Hmph!" Inuyasha shrugged, his eyes closed and arms folded. "Well, get used to it sooner or later. Because if this keeps up, it may get to the point where Kagome may just want to stay in her time for good." he lied out of anger.

"That's silly! How can you be such a jerk!? Remember what happened the LAST time you two got angry at each other? When that Kouga guy was injured during that last encounter we had in the mountains?" a narrow eyed Shippo shot back. 

Inuyasha leapt down and grabbed Shippo, shaking him back and forth like a rag doll. "Hey! That's a totally different subject, okay? And the next time you even dare try to insinuate that every argument we have is my causing then you can count on me making you into a nice fur scarf when the winter time comes... and winter season is just around the corner..." Inuyasha said, fire appearing behind him as Shippo broke out of his grasp, a big sweat drop rolling down his head.

"Uh, forget it! I'm sorry! Forget I said anything!!! I don't wanna be turned into dead fur!" Shippo scurried behind the tree.

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Back in the present, school had finally let out, and most of the students were ready to go home. Kagome was just about to release her bike from near the gate when he heard a familiar voice call out to her from behind. "Kagome! Hey, Kagome!"

"What? Oh, Hojo! Hi!" Kagome stuttered, upon seeing Hojo run up with his usual cool and collected grin.

"Hi Kagome, I was looking for you all day. I didn't see you at lunch or gym today. Anyway, I'm glad I caught up with you. Ever since you caught malaria I've been worried an awful lot about you. Are you sure you be returning to school so soon after such a terrible ailment?" Hojo meaningfully asked.

Kagome stammered, unsure of how to respond. "_Grandpa strikes again..._" she thought.

"Um, no, its quite alright! I mean, I'm 100% all better now. You know how my genes are. No matter what I catch my body only gets stronger and immune to any type of sickness! Kagome laughed excusably. "_But if its ONE thing I'll never be immune to is Inuyasha's whining..._" she added in thought.

"Aw, well, that's great to hear, actually. The reason why I say that is because I was wondering if you'd like to go out to that new drama movie they're showing down in Shinjuku tonight. I've been hearing its pretty good. And then maybe we could go for burgers and shakes." Hojo suggested.

"Sounds tempting..." Kagome uttered under her breath. "_I mean, its not that Hojo is practically the hottest and most sought after guy in the whole school, and its not that I'd be the most lucky one to even get any attention from him, and its not that I wouldn't like to go out with him... its just that..._" Kagome's thoughts trailed off. She blushed in embarrassment, unsure of how to respond.

"Um, Hojo? As much as I'd like to go out for sure... I don't think I'll be able to." Kagome said. "What!? Oh no, is it because you're still feeling sick? Is it the pneumonia? Or are you feeling a little queasy?" Hojo's eyes widened.

"Um..... THAT'S IT! I mean, um..." Kagome switched her tone and hunched over her bike, her eyes almost closed. "Yeah, I think I've spent too much time on the school grounds... its making me... um, motion sick. I'd better get home and gets lots of rest. I'm so sorry to break our date!" Kagome said, hopping onto her bike and releasing the chain to the rack.

As Kagome slowly biked out of the front yard, Hojo came out and waved to her as she left. "Oh, its okay, Kagome! Its no problem at all! Your getting better is much more important! I wouldn't want you to feel any worse!" he called back.

Kagome shook her head as she raced down the street. "Wow, if its any guy that's unfettered by total false rejection, its him. That's one merit you can't break..." she said, disappearing from view over the hill. The sun began to set over the horizon of the land ahead, marking the beginning of the evening.

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Later that night, Kagome walked back to the Higurashi shrine, just soon after finishing all of her homework. Opening the big wooden doors and walking into the area where she was all too familiar - the ancient well which had dragged her into a completely different era where she overcame time - the Bone Eater's Well.

"Am I ready to go back?" Kagome placed her warm hand on the cold stone ledge, her gaze fixated on the ladder that was attached for easier entering into the well. Her other hand clutched the top of her left breast, where she felt her heart trembling underneath. "I could never truly understand why I always experience this strange feeling whenever I come in close quarters of the well. As many times as I've been through here, transporting from the present to feudal times, I can never adjust to this strange aura that drapes itself over me like a cold curtain. I keep expecting another foul creature to come out and grab me and pull me into a new world, like the future or something." she said quietly.

Outside of the shrine, the moon appeared in the cloudless sky in its prime - full to its entirety. Its luminous invisible shadow covered the Higurashi shrine, its pure rays of light providing better view upon the grounds without fear. A harsh wind blew by, rattling against the open door. However, Kagome didn't even notice the noise, because she was already climbing down into the well. As soon as both of her feet touched the hard soil at the bottom, an odd kaleidoscope like light enveloped Kagome, its unexplained mystical forces breaking down the pale mossy stones upon her view and every particle and matter reassembling themselves as she suddenly found herself in the exact same well, but a different location. Kagome shook her head, quickly recovering from the trip as she climbed up to the top of the well.

She took a deep breath of the fresh evening air, her brown eyes drinking in the beautiful orange sky that stood still and never appearing to be moving even the slightest bit. "I'm back in the feudal era. Sooner than I expected, no doubt. Even though I thought I was ready to stay in the present for at least a few more days, I'm beginning to realize how this place almost seems like... a second home to me. And not to mention, all of my friends here seem like a second family to me." Kagome said, dusting off her dress.

She sat down on the cool grass and laid back against the edge of the well, hiking up one leg and wrapping her arms around it. "But let's face it... I know the reason why I came back so soon. Because even though I've might have argued with him just a little before I left a day ago, I already miss Inuyasha. Its getting more difficult for me to stay in the present without thinking about him for a mere five minutes straight. Without Inuyasha around me... everything seems so foreign. Another land and another lifestyle doesn't mix for me." Kagome said with a hint of frustration.

She stood up and began to walk toward to the nearest village where old Kaede lived, and she knew she was bound to pass by the exact same spot where she first met Inuyasha, bound to a tree by a sacred arrow.

And that same spot she eventually breached upon. Instead of just walking past it in ignorance, Kagome stood before it, staring at the area of the old tree. A wind bustled by, blowing her hair to the side. Kagome sighed, a small twinkle in her eyes dancing like a ballerina on stage.

"It was here where I first met Inuyasha. This old tree.... his body was pinned up like a doll. Who would have thought that 50 years ago, and 50 years later a half-demon like him and an young school girl like me, would even dare cross paths?" Kagome said.

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50 years ago... in the feudal era...

Inuyasha dashed through the forest, his teeth clenched with fervor and his tenacity raging with an untouchable fire. His yellow eyes were glazed with only one intention - and that single mission was laying right under his nose, sitting inside a shrine sparkling with ancient energies unfathomable to man. Inuyasha was after the sacred Shikon Jewel of the Four Souls. And nothing was going to stop him from obtaining it.

"That sacred jewel is mine!" Inuyasha said, taking a bountiful long leap out of the forest and into the air. The village was just in view a few feet ahead below him, his eyes fixated on the shrine where the Shikon Jewel was being kept. But that wasn't the only thing he had to worry about, as the folk inhabiting the village pointing up in fear at the dog demon had begun to assemble in defense of their land.

"Its Inuyasha! Inuyasha has come!" one of the men shouted into air, holding a spear.

"He's come to the take the jewel!" another reported.

"Quick, gather together! We need to stop him! Find the high priestess and hurry!" a pitchfork wielding villager exasperated.

But they were far too slow, as Inuyasha landed directly into the entrance of the village, zooming past the weaklings that stood in his way with amazing speed. Knocking the fools aside, Inuyasha took another big leap and busted through the roof of the shrine nearby, debris crashing to the ground behind him. Inuyasha wiped his face in defiance, pleasantly smirking to himself upon discovering his sought after treasure - the sacred Shikon Jewel.

"Heh, there it is." Inuyasha said, stepping ever so closer to the shining jewel, its unknown elements sending out forms of purple, white, and pinkish light every which way. The surface of the jewel shone with a heavy ambience, only to be snatched up in an instant by a clawed hand.

"Oh no, we're too late! He has the jewel!" a large group of villagers announced their arrival through the front doors of the shrine, catching their last glimpse of Inuyasha just before the half demon exited the same way he came, but not before knocking down a fire lit lantern and slashing the entire roof with a single swipe of his hand, causing the entire structure to explode and crash down upon the villagers, killing them in a huge dust cloud.

Inuyasha, with the jewel safely in his hand, began to dash back out of the village, already reaching the open arms of the forest. He was almost there, believing he was finally going to get what he truly desired from the jewel. But before he could even think of what that desire was...

A beautiful woman with long black haired tied up in a ponytail and dressed in red and white priestess clothing held up her bow and arrow, her brown eyes reflecting the image of an escaping Inuyasha several feet ahead. "DIE, INUYASHA!" the woman said angrily, readying her arrow and shooting it with the grace of a swan. The arrow was encased with a sacred holy light, shooting through the air like a star in the middle of the night, its escaping target turning around just in time to see it heading straight for him...

"Wh... what!?" Inuyasha stuttered, his body spinning around 180 degrees as he felt a powerful voice directly behind him, with his chance at freedom previously in front him - and his only chance of making his truest wish, still being clutched in his hand. Inuyasha was pelted by the sudden sacred arrow directly just to the left of his heart, the blade of the long ranged weapon burying itself deep into the flesh of the half demon.

Inuyasha was forcefully slammed into a single tree, the arrow now punctured deep into his body in a sole connection between his living self and the tree behind him. Inuyasha tried to move, but he couldn't, as he felt the arrow holding him place, a force with such high caliber that even he himself could not withstand. The chained portion of the Shikon Jewel dangled from his fingers, and his demonic eyes slowly rose up to see his attacker... his belief of truth and fiction clashing together in a nasty mental battle as he couldn't believe who he had saw standing on a ridge at the entrance of the village. "K... Kikyo?!"

"_No... Why!? Why did she do this to me? I thought she trusted me!?_" was Inuyasha's last thought, as he felt his consciousness slowly begin to fade into nothingness, and the last image recorded in his eyes was the injured Kikyo walking towards him, her eyes flooded with a cold and distinct attitude.

Kikyo wanted Inuyasha to die for his betrayal. Why did she entrust him to using the Shikon Jewel? In turn, she risked a chance of him slaying her when she was vulnerable. And to say the least, that same very conception happened to her just a few hours earlier when she was in the fields, just before she was attacked from behind. She couldn't believe her own two eyes as she witnessed Inuyasha looking down on her collapsed bloodied body.

Kikyo tried to speak. She wanted to ask what caused her lover, or should she say, former lover, to decide upon this selfish act? Was the importance of the Shikon jewel that much important to warrant the death of Kikyo for Inuyasha's own selfish demeanor? Didn't he love and respect her wishes? Didn't he respect himself for what he thought he truly wanted in his heart?

"Inuyasha... why..." she could only breathe out, as the large bloody wound across the entire right side of her body began to worsen, forming a bigger pool of red to drench the clothing of what was once white. Blood splashed down onto the grass beneath her, with Kikyo's top appearing to be a sea of crimson liquid. Kikyo reached out to Inuyasha in hopes that he wasn't doing what she thought was all just a nightmare. She begged for it to end, but it seemed to drag on as if it were real.

"Fool!" Inuyasha stomped on Kikyo's outstretched hand. "Do you really think I wanted to use the jewel to become a normal human?" Inuyasha said coldly. "What do you take me for? I only want to become more powerful than I ever was! A full fledged demon is the only path I'm taking!" Inuyasha said.

Kikyo blinked at least three times, with Inuyasha mysteriously disappearing from the fields. Kikyo could only crawl a few inches before she realized that this was really happening. The blood that flowed from her aching wounds left a trench of red behind her, as she mustered up the last amount of strength that was within her body. Kikyo, to her own surprise, somehow stood up on her legs and quickly hobbled out of the fields, heading back towards the village where she lived. "The jewel... I should have known... the jewel only corrupts the needs of user if unless he has a pure heart enough to fight against those kinds of black desires... I... I have to stop him before its too late." Kikyo groaned, the burning image of seeing Inuyasha dead on the ground instilled in her mind. "He has betrayed me... used me like was a puppet until he decided to strike me down when the time was right... What is this I'm feeling!? Possible hatred!?"

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"This is just a misunderstanding! I thought you wanted me to use the jewel..."

"You must die for your betrayal, Inuyasha! The jewel isn't for you to use!"

"No... Kikyo... listen to me..."

Little Kaede stood next to her older sister, watching her take the Shikon Jewel from an unconscious Inuyasha's hand. Only a few seconds after that action, the villagers ran up to Kikyo from behind, their faces all wrought with concern from their priestess. "Lady Kikyo! Are you alright!?" a man asked.

"She's injured! Someone get some medicine for the priestess!" another man ordered. Kikyo held the jewel in her grasp, crashing to her knees directly in front of Kaede.

"Sister! No!" Kaede said, holding Kikyo's arm in trying to support her.

"There's... no need. My injuries are too severe..." Kikyo said with tired eyes, what was once her pure lovely skin had now turned into a ghostly pale of color, the blood nearly turning half of her top and hakama dark red. "I'm going to die... but please, as my last request... I wish for my body to be cremated along with the jewel... This same jewel shall never fall into another humans hands, be it that their contact with this sacred item will only be the beginning of their end." Kikyo said, just before falling to her right and onto the soft grass, the last of her lifeforce exiting her body. Kikyo was now dead, her lifeless corpse lay before the shocked villagers. Kaede tried to hold her tears back, but it was nigh impossible at this point.

"SISTER!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!" Kaede cried out, holding Kikyo's head in her little arms.....

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That was 50 years ago... I can never seem to get such a sad story out of my mind...

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Kagome still stood there in front of the tree, touching the area where Inuyasha's body had previously been for five decades. Even though they were both led under complete misunderstand, Kagome knew the truth, and so did Inuyasha and Kikyo. Neither of them had betrayed each other to begin with. It was all the cause of one evil man, who had gone by the name of Naraku. Naraku had disguised himself as both Inuyasha and Kikyo, tricking them into turning against each other out of Naraku's disgusting wants for the Shikon Jewel.

Kagome backed away and sighed. She turned around and headed off to the village. At least she was now back into this era, where her major purpose was to help Inuyasha and her friends find the rest of the jewel shards before Naraku does. And getting all the shards was a mighty task at hand. But at the same time, all of the fighting she has done alongside her friends has also caused her to grow more closer to Inuyasha as time went on, and before she realized it, there was strong possibility that they both may have fallen in love with each other - even though she wouldn't be so fast to admit it, nor would Inuyasha himself.

"No way. He's too chock full of pride to do anything like that. But I do wonder... is he still in love with Kikyo? How _does_ he feel towards me? Well... I guess deep down I know the answer. But I refuse to believe it until I get a realistic example to answer my questions." Kagome said, the sunset sky becoming darker and making way for the stars to appear. The village appeared some feet away, and Kaede's house was lit.

"But either way... I'll be happy to see Inuyasha. Surviving through a single day without him is like me trying to ace a test without studying for it." Kagome said, entering the village. "But at least I'm back." she smiled to herself, eagerly awaiting to see her favorite dog demon as she reached the front of old Kaede's house.

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The End of Chapter 1.


	2. Enter Naraku's New Plan

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 2: Enter Naraku's New Plan

Kagome Higurashi had lightly knocked on the edge of the door to old Kaede's home, her fingers tingling with a strange excitement she couldn't quite explain even if she thought she could comprehend it in her subconscious mind. Perhaps it was the fact that she has been longing to see Inuyasha after only spending a day and a half in her present time, or maybe it was just straight out nervousness. Either way, there was no total excuse as she's been totally familiar with the same old scene ever since she's first came to this village, as she had befriended Kaede, the younger sister of the priestess Kikyo.

"Hello, Kaede?" Kagome called, brushing against the cloth that served as a door. She peeked inside and saw the old woman crushing some herbal leaves in a tiny pot. Kaede looked up and greeted Kagome with a friendly smile.

"Come in, child. There's no need to stay out in the cold." Kaede motioned. Grateful and happy to see the usual pleasant attitude of the eyepatch wearing old lady, Kagome walked inside and sat down, the small pain in her legs already subsiding from the long walk she took from the Bone Eater's Well to the village.

Kaede reached over to a small boiling pot that sat to her right, the sweet aroma of the liquid inside filling the air with a rose like scent. "Would you like a cup of rose herbal tea, dear? I was about to have some. Had I expected you earlier I would have made a small snack in advance." Kaede poured some of the warm tea into a freshly cleaned cup and handed it to Kagome. 

"Thank you, Kaede." Kagome nodded, raising the cup to her soft lips and taking a small sip. "I wasn't actually expecting to come back so soon myself. I was originally planning to stay in my own time for a week, just to catch up on my school work and stuff. Gee, I just suddenly realized how odd it seemed without being here, if only for a small amount of time." Kagome said, her eyes lowering to the entrail of steam rising up from the cup she held in her hands.

"Ah, Kagome. What you speak of is the probability of reversed homesickness. Perhaps you've been spending so much time here in this era, you are beginning to forget the pleasures and life tendencies of the era you were born in to begin with." Kaede responded, grinding the leaves down to small pieces in the pot. "Inuyasha has expressed a great deal of anger for you leaving so soon during your quest for the shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel, but perhaps he return to his normal arrogant self now you have come back. It seems that his initial attitude is dependent on your presence."

"Normal arrogance in Inuyasha? I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between normal and _advanced_ arrogance when its coming from him." an annoyed Kagome narrowed her eyes.

"As I've said before time and time again, you two must work together if you are to find all the pieces of the jewel." Kaede advised, pouring a medicinal substance into the pot with the crushed leaves.

"I know, I know... but sometimes arguing with Inuyasha seems like a blind date gone terribly wrong." Kagome said. Kagome sighed wistfully and looked out of the open window, seeing a single star pulsing with white energy in the night sky.

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"Kagome!!! You've come back!" Shippo exclaimed happily as he ran towards Kagome.

Kagome smiled and held Shippo once he leapt into her arms. She rubbed his furry head, glad to see him. "Hi, Shippo! Its good to be back! Has everything been going okay since I left?" she asked the fox child.

Shippo stared back up Kagome with wide doe eyes. "No way!!! Inuyasha's been pretty mean lately, and Miroku and Sango practically gave up on trying to take his mind off the current situation. I mean, without you we really haven't been able to go out and search for any new jewel shards." Shippo replied, hopping back down to the ground.

"I know what you mean. But there's no need to worry this time. Now that I've come back, we can restart our quest again. Who knows how many more demons we'll encounter that have any shards, and we definitely don't want to give Naraku a head start." Kagome said, following Shippo towards the encampment in the village where Inuyasha and the others were.

A few minutes later, Kagome and Shippo came to the encampment, and none other than Inuyasha, who was sitting on an upraised rock, was the first to see them. He shrugged with a strong hint of annoyance, his arms folded defiantly as usual. "Well, its about time you came back! What made you change your mind? I thought you said were going to stay in the present time for a few days. I guess you knew your role here was more important that school." Inuyasha asked.

"Grrrrr...... SIT, BOY!" Kagome growled, a strong fire brewing in her brown eyes.

"Huh!?" Inuyasha said, just a moment before the magical beads on his neck glowed with a pinkish energy forced the weight of his body down onto the ground with a heavy blow.

"Gyaaaahhhh!!!" Inuyasha cried out, his legs twitching in the air ever so slightly.

"I guess he ran right into _that_ one." Shippo sighed.

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Many minutes later, Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Kirara were all in a circle together at the encampment. The faint howling of a wolf could be heard in the far distance, marking the appearance of a full moon in the star lit sky. Inuyasha rubbed his head, a big bandage plastered onto his white hair. "Grrrrrrrr... stupid beads! I wish there was a way I could just tear this blasted thing off with my bare hands!" Inuyasha said to himself, tugging at the mystical necklace around his neck that was forcibly placed on him by Kaede when he was first released from the sacred tree by Kagome.

"In any case, its good to have you back, Kagome." Miroku commented, holding his staff. "For the time being we weren't sure what direction to head in next for any shards, or yet any clues that might lead us to Naraku."

"Naraku is always constantly on the move, and we can never pinpoint where his castle may be hidden. For now we didn't have much a choice but to remain around the village until you came back here." Sango said, feeding Kirara a small piece of cooked meat.

"I know, that's another thing that was bothering me. I knew you guys probably wouldn't have gotten far without me so I just figured now wasn't the time to stay home. In addition to that, I missed you guys... and..." Kagome looked over at Inuyasha. "I missed Inuyasha most of all."

"What!?" Inuyasha suddenly turned to Kagome, his face turning a slight shade of red.

"I mean, its not like I was worried about you or anything." Kagome caught herself when she realized what she was saying before. Miroku, Sango, and Shippo couldn't believe their ears either.

"Hey, think nothing of it. You just surprised me, that's all.... um, well... I missed you too... I guess." Inuyasha muttered.

"What? What was that?" Shippo said aloud. Inuyasha punched Shippo in the head.

"Shut up, will you!? Its hard enough as it is to say what I think without the rest of you barging in on our conversations...." Inuyasha said angrily.

"_Did... Inuyasha just admit he missed me too!? No... I mean, yeah, I understand he'd missed me because we're friends. But... did he mean it in a bigger sense? No, it couldn't be._" Kagome shook her head in frustration. "Oh, forget it! The basic point is, I'm back! Why don't we all set out into the forest now and get an early start on our search? I'd suggest we should move east this time. We've already scoured the south and west at most already." Kagome quickly announced.

"Um... well, I guess we could do that." Miroku said, a sweat drop rolling down the side of his head. Sango and Kirara stood up, the demon exterminator perching her Hiraikotsu, a huge boomerang like weapon, onto her back.

"I'm certainly ready and up to the task." Sango said. Inuyasha nodded and stood up also.

"Good, then its settled! I was already getting bored as hell just sitting around here. I guess you could say I missed a good amount of slicing demons to bloody pieces with my Tetsusaiga. You coming, Miroku? Or do I have to drag your perverted ass along with us? You're the only one still sitting on his lazy butt."

"Alright, alright. Calm down, Inuyasha. I agree to the plan as well." Miroku said, setting down his tea cup and standing up, the jingle from his staff reverbing in his ears. "We can easily cover a good amount of ground, and if we're lucky, we may come across another village before midnight." the amorous monk said.

"We're off on another adventure!" Shippo cheered.

"Don't get your tail in a knot, Shippo. This ain't no fairy tale or anything." Inuyasha said, walking off to lead the gang into the dark forest just up ahead.

Just a few feet up in the air, a lone Saimyoushou, one of Naraku's poison insects, was flying stationary in the air, the images of Inuyasha and his friends in its red eyes. Noting that they appeared to heading in the eastern direction, the ugly looking insect flew off as fast as its wings could carry it.

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The Saimyoushou eventually came upon a single village, where it spotted two middle aged men standing in the plant fields, hacking away at the dirt and pulling up dead plants.

"Did you happen to hear? They say that someone's discovered a funny looking cave not too far away from here." the first man said, a sour expression plastered across his whithered face.

"Yes, I hear that its inhabited by demons in the form of spiders. But I only heard it by word of mouth, but I won't doubt its not true, with all the strange things that's been happening in other places lately." the second man replied, yanking up an old root. "From what I heard this morning, though, is that a group of our neighbors are planning to use torches to throw into that cave to burn anything crawling around in there with more than two legs. Sounds like a fine plan, if you ask me. It'll be sure to prevent any incidents before those so called spider demons start killing innocent victims who happen to wander close to that area. Mainly victims living in _this_ place."

The poison insect collected this conversation and proceeded to fly off, heading to the northwest to Naraku's castle. It wasn't any more than an hour and a half before the insect came into a darkened territory where the skies were colored an ominous purple, and the a light rush of rain came tumbling down into the rotten land. The gigantic structure of Naraku's castle loomed before the insect, as it effortlessly flew into one of the open windows, slowly making its way through the nearly pitch black hallways.

It turned right into the master's room, as it once again remained stationary in front of a slightly see through curtain. On the other side of the curtain sat a man in purple robes with with long black hair. His red eyes were a glow with such an evil demeanor, ten times more evil than the very dark aura surrounding the room. Suddenly, the candlelights became lit with the man's simple motion of the hand, revealing the high decor he sat in the very middle of. Two urns sat on a shelf to his right, with a strange flesh like appendage beating in each one, empowered with evil demonic energy.

"So, you have returned. And what precious and valuable information have you gathered for me?" the man said in the lowest yet indistinguishable volume of voice. His pale skin was only so cold as the winter season itself compared to the way he spoke, as if he hadn't had a single worry in the world to be concerned about. He stared in the opposite direction of the insect from behind the curtain, gazing at the purple skies from where he imagined only the deepest pits of hell itself could create for him to admire. Every time he stared up into the sky, for a few brief moments he could feel a bit of undiscovered nirvana, which is something he longed to experience as far has his human memories could take him back. But something wasn't right. Should he even feel such human emotion? He was not a human at all, by his conceited beliefs. He truly knew that he was a fully empowered demon, only a few steps closer to gaining ultimate power. But at the same time, an internal conflict tore away at his heart and soul like a never ending war between peace and malice.

Who was once thought to be the former handsome lord Kagewaki, the son of a now deceased upper lord after an incident with a group of demon exterminators about a month and a half ago, is now living on as what could be imagined as the epitome of evil itself - a demon created upon the merging of hundreds and hundreds - or even could be considered _countless_ - demons into one body. The poor unfortunate human soul once known as Onigumo, who was previously a bandit burned beyond recognition who had fallen under the care of the priestess Kikyo, now was trapped deep down in the body of the demon known as Naraku. A conniving creature known for causing so much misfortune and pain upon his selected victims for the past 50 years. A creature who now sat in silence in his empty castle, his mind focusing on nothing else on how to eliminate his sworn enemies for good.

The insect relayed the information it had collected earlier to Naraku. "Hmm. A lone cave containing spider demons..... and with Inuyasha and his allies heading in that very same direction, this proves to be quite the coincedence. A coincedence that fate has brung to me in my absolute favor." Naraku said to himself, the candlelight near the wall burning brighter with a burst of orange flame.

Naraku had slowly risen from the floor and walked towards to the candlelight. He opened his palm and formed a strange black sphere, and reached into the orange fire and inserted it inside. Not a moment later did the flame nearly explode in another rush of light. Naraku calmly stared at the fire, the warmth of the flame feeling quite soothing to his body. The flame had turned purple upon his manipulation, and once again he reached into the light and pulled out a fresh solid seed, its contents containing a strong poison substance.

Naraku stared down at the seed in his hand, where his mind had a flash back to his last encounter with Inuyasha and the others. "_That young girl..._"

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Naraku could only stare in disbelief as he saw nearly his entire body vaporized right before him in a shower of holy light. "What!?!?" Naraku uttered. "There was no possible way she could have detected me from this direction! I was hidden in shadow..."

His wide red eyes were locked on Kagome, who was holding her bow and arrow. A heavy expression of hatred was strewn across Kagome's face, just after witnessing Naraku's despicable attempt to gain Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga and make Kohaku, Sango's younger brother, fight against Sango in a forced battle to the death. Kagome had just fired one of the most powerful sacred arrows directly into Naraku's chest, blowing away his torso, arms, and legs altogether, leaving only his head and the upper right portion of his body intact. Naraku was in a bad disposition, and he was sure that one more shot from Kagome could have finished him off.

But it was one question that kept repeating in his mind over and over again. "_That girl... only Kikyo was capable of producing such power in the form of her arrows. So how could this be? How does Kikyo and this girl that tags along with Inuyasha share the exact same holy strength? She can also somehow purify my poisonous gas cloud! I cannot understand this..._" Naraku thought, as his saw that his poison gas was being whisked aside into nothingness as he saw Kagome prepare to draw another arrow from her quiver.

"_Whatever the case may be, I cannot allow myself to be hit by another one of her arrows again..._" Naraku said, as he disappeared in a flash of light, taking his entire castle along with him. The place had disappeared in an illusionary sparkle, fading away into the cloudy night and leaving his enemies behind to fight another day.

__

"That wasn't too long ago... when that had occurred."

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But now Naraku was fully prepared. Now that he has generated a brand new body, stronger than ever, thanks to the various combined parts of the dead demons in the miasma he had created in a mountain five weeks ago, he hasn't felt any better since. However, the interference with Inuyasha and Kikyo had also rose a few questions that he dared not to ask mentally.

But it didn't matter now. He didn't think much of her at first, but now Naraku had seen Kagome as twice as much as a threat to him, probably as much as Inuyasha himself. Even with his brand new body, another miscalculated direct confrontation with Kagome could very well end his life. He didn't want to take that very chance. Naraku was far smarter than that, and in comparison vastly intelligent to his demon brethren. He knew that if he wanted Kagome dead, then he would have to do it from afar. "And this poison seed will assist me in achieving just that." Naraku smirked to himself, not even laughing. "Hm? What's this?"

Naraku lowered his robes, revealing the jagged spider mark on his back. The scar was faintly beating with a mysterious newfound life. "Blast this cursed mark... no matter how many demons I absorb, it refuses to disappear... When Kikyo dared to refer to me as only half demon when she left my castle before, I did not want to believe her. There is no way that Onigumo could still exist in my body. That part of me should have very well died in the sea of demonic auras combined into one singular entity. But the reason why it still remains on my back, I cannot help but wonder..."

Naraku pulled up his robes and exited the room, the candlelight blowing out as soon as he quietly slid the door shut.

__

The End of Chapter 2.


	3. Into the Spider Demon Cave

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 3: Into the Spider Demon Cave

The late evening dew broke out upon the open pathways of the peaceful lands of feudal Japan, and butterflies fluttered lightly against a patch of dandelion flowers that were fresh in bloom towards the end of the autumn season. Alongside a long and beautiful sparkling river, Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara were all walking at a moderate pace, talking with one another.

"Man, we've been walking around for nearly a day now. How long will it be before we reach the next town from here? If we haven't taken the time to camp out last night, I would have been very pissed off. Not to mention hungry." Inuyasha groaned impatiently.

"Not that _that's_ any different from the way you normally act. Even if we did get a good night's rest and a bite to eat, you'd still find an excuse to be cranky about something." Shippo said, perched on Kagome's shoulder.

"You hit the nail on the head with that one." Kagome giggled teasingly.

"Hey! I just have a lot crap on my mind to worry about, that's all!" Inuyasha shot back. "Besides, with all the jewel shards we have to search for, fighting demons, and helping out any innocents we may run across doesn't exactly come with a cheap invitation to rest and relaxation, you know! So just back off." Inuyasha said, crossing his arms.

Kagome laughed quietly again to herself, not responding. "_Heh, it doesn't hurt for him to loosen up a little. But I can't blame him. I know he really must think of the more important things, dealing with Naraku and having worries about Kikyo. Out of all of us, I could easily count on him being in the biggest disposition... not that we all don't have reasons for hating Naraku. Miroku himself and his generation have been cursed with the Wind Tunnel, and he aims to end the spell once Naraku's death is relevant. And Sango, she wants Naraku to pay for murdering her family, with the addition of enslaving her once thought to be dead brother, Kohaku. It doesn't even end there, as a matter of fact._" Kagome thought to herself, sighing as she stared at the ground.

"_There has been other victims of Naraku's evildoing, such as Kouga of the wolf tribe and of course Kikyo. And from what we could gather even Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha's older brother, has a bite to pick with the most notorious demon that's ever existed. Things just don't seem to fall in place when it comes to everyone we've come across to know._" Kagome thought. "_I guess in the meantime, we'll just have to be careful of whatever may happen next. I just hope we can truly figure out a way to end all of the pain and suffering Naraku's caused to everyone, friend and foe alike. Then maybe, everyone could live in peace._"

It was then that Miroku's calm voice had broken Kagome's thoughts. "We should all look on the bright side of things. At least finding another village would prove quite beneficial to our search for any jewel shards. And, providing the fact that we haven't fulfilled our nourishment since yesterday, all the means for us to continue our quest at full strength." Miroku announced.

"I don't care what big words you're trying to use, monk. Either way you slice it, you're most likely just planning to mooch off the next village we come across for every ration they've got available! And by doing that I'll bet you're going to make up another stupid story about some ominous black cloud hovering over their temple and plastering talismans all over the place until it looks like some cheaply put up wallpaper!" Inuyasha accused.

Miroku closed his eyes, holding his staff while making a prayer sign with his free hand. "You forget, Inuyasha. It very well so happens that exorcism is my expertise, and any common monk must do what it takes to reap the rewards. As they always say, and I'm pretty sure you've heard the meaning before, 'And to the victor goes the spoils'." 

Sango glared at him, her eyes twitching. "You mean and to the _liar_ goes the spoils. Have I also forgotten to add in a lech as well? Hm, maybe lech is not even a word big enough to describe you." Kagome chimed in with Sango, sharing the same glare as she. "You got _that_ one right..."

Miroku waved his hands frantically, warding off the two girls. "Ladies, ladies, no double teaming on the monk, please!" He quickly looked at Inuyasha. "Um, Inuyasha? Some moral support here? Guys against the girls?"

Inuyasha could be seen much further ahead of everyone else, holding up his hand. "Sorry! You're alone there, Miroku! I'm pretty sure a common monk like you could handle defending himself against two angsty women." Inuyasha called back.

Miroku's eyes became beady and he facefaulted hard onto the ground out of embarrassment. Kagome and Sango looked down at him. "He gives monks a really bad name." Sango said.

"I couldn't agree with you more." Kagome nodded, her arms crossed.

"Sometimes I wonder if someone my age is even hanging around the right people." Shippo said, a sweat drop forming down his little head. Kirara let out a soft growl, shaking her head at the scene.

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Inuyasha and the others had finally arrived upon the next village, just in time to spot a small group of people gathered past the entrance up the stone steps. "Hey, look! It seems that something's up. I wonder why everyone's standing there." Shippo asked.

"From the frantic looks on their faces, I don't think anything good is happening." Inuyasha took note of the panic stricken people.

"I take it that we should ask what's going on." Miroku said.

"It was horrible! Just horrible!" one of the locals said in a traumatic tone as Inuyasha and the others came closer.

"Never have I seen such a gratuitous bloody scene." a woman said, shaking her head.

"Someone oughta do something about those demons, I'll tell ya! Do something before we all die!" an older local shook his fist.

"Did he say demons?" Sango said, her ears perked up.

"Oh yeah, he most certainly did." Inuyasha whispered.

Miroku cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Excuse me, but may I ask you folk of what may have occurred? We happened to overhear that you speak of demons around here?"

"Hm? Strange looking foreigners we got here." a local said.

"Who cares? They're human like us! In any case, you're damned right about those demons! Just earlier today there has been some sort of insect like creature slaughtering unfortunate victims from our village near a cave east of here. And not too long ago, a poor mother and her two children were found dead, brutally disemboweled." the older local said.

"It was such a horrific sight! None of us knew what to do at the time. We knew the spider demons in the cave had been a threat, but it seemed that our worries had worsened when they started doing all of these killings. We always knew that we should have set the place on fire to burn it down, but now this barbaric act confirms our beliefs." the female local said in a sad tone. "Even though we originally planned the burn the spiders and their eggs, we're not too sure any of us would even survive to tell about it, even in a large pack. We don't know how to handle the situation anymore."

"This is serious. These people wouldn't last against demons so powerful and fierce, and they're already aware of it." Inuyasha said to Kagome.

"Definitely, and this sounds like something only us could take care of. I don't think we'd be able to just leave here and move on without having any more of these people being harmed or killed by the spider demons." Kagome replied.

"Judging from the way the lot of you look and from what you're saying, are you people some sort of a demon extermination group?" the old local asked. "If so, then our prayers have been answered. I'd say its about darn time some brave warriors came along to save our doomed behinds!" he said, nodding with a serious expression.

"Well, we're not exactly exterminators or any kind of slayers, but we do always happen to slaughter every evil demon we may happen to come across on our travels." Inuyasha said.

Miroku stepped up and held up his staff. "We are perfectly willing to investigate the spider cave for you, and we shall see to it that we can eliminate the problem to prevent any more harm to come to anyone living here."

"What!? Are you nuts, Miroku? We don't have time to play spider stomping. Let someone else handle the job. For once these humans should just learn how to use their brains when it comes to fighting a demon instead of taking cover under the first object they see when things go fast from bad to worse." Inuyasha protested.

Miroku turned to his half demon friend and leaned close. "No, Inuyasha. You're forgetting that there's a good chance that these spider demons may possess a fragment or two of the Shikon jewel. This is an opportunity we don't want to ignore, that's if my theory rings true once we arrive there. Even so, I'd doubt these insects would hardly be any trouble for us at all. They may seem so powerful to the villagers, but to us, it will be mere child's play." Miroku whispered.

"What? Hey, you're right about that..." Inuyasha nodded. Inuyasha turned to the rest of his friends. "Alright, its settled. Let's go stomp some spiders!"

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Inuyasha and the others all approached the cave slowly, where they were greeted by the horrific sight of mutilated bodies, with the heavy stench of blood still tingling in the air. Severed hands, arms, and legs and other identifiable internal organs littered the cold ground, with some blood trails sloppily leading into the cave. It was suggested that some of the victims were dragged into the cave for the spider demons' late feasting.

Kagome had nearly felt sick to her stomach upon seeing such a sight, and she literally had to close her eyes as she held herself close on Inuyasha's arm. Inuyasha carefully led her and the others into the open clearing, seeing a headless female body crumpled against the stone wall of the nearby entrance. The bottom of a child's body lay not too far away from the female's, with some remains of an acidic residue bubbling from the top of the torn torso. Shippo couldn't bear to look at any of the deceased either himself, and walked along with Kagome and Inuyasha.

"Some of dead here must have been some stragglers who may not have heard of the dangers of the spider demons. From what I can tell, some of these bodies are fresh kills." Sango reported quietly.

"You're right about that, Sango... whatever methods these spiders use to kill their human prey, they certainly aren't by any means clean." Inuyasha said. "Kagome, Shippo, you can open your eyes now. We're at the foot of the cave."

Kagome and Shippo did as they were told. "Ohhh... I just can't help but feel sorry for all of these poor people. None of them deserved these ultra violent deaths... if only we had been around sooner. Then maybe we could have stopped any innocents from being killed at all by these monsters." Kagome said sadly, gripping the strap to her quiver.

"Even if we were here at any earlier given time, Kagome, nothing would have stopped these demons from murdering. It was only this point in time we would have found out anything about this cave at all... if nothing had occurred, then that would have meant we would have never known about this cave, and possibly never gaining any information about the jewel shards." Miroku said.

"Also, those villagers were planning to set this place on fire. I don't know if any of the individual jewel shards could withstand any type of force, whether it could be melted by extreme heat or possibly be shattered if dropped from a far height - but if anything, this provides to the perfect time for us to find out if there's any shards hiding up in any of these spider's stomachs. Not to worry though, as I'll slice it right out of their guts with the Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha said with pure vigor. Kagome felt more at ease at Inuyasha's words of confidence.

Both Inuyasha and Kirara took a good long sniff of the air. "Hmmm... There's definitely a putrid scent in the air... the all too recognizable scent of death and decay. Kirara can easily sense it too." Inuyasha said, looking down at Kirara, as she shook her body upon the repulsive stench coming from the bowels of the cave. "There's a certain dark aura I don't necessarily like about this place... everyone, take caution. We're going in." he said, and Kirara roared in response soon after.

The entire group slowly made their way into the cave, with a small yet warm wind blowing at them from within. The walls of the cave were slimy and slick with traces of human and demon blood alike, and the ceiling was showered with sharp, jagged stalactites and stalagmites, almost looking like they were ready to fall down and impale the very next passerby from the slightest sound vibration. Thick beds of spider silk webbing danced across various random spots of the cave, with them shaking slightly due to the wind that was blowing by. Shippo shivered with each little step he took, his mouth trembling and turning dry with over nervousness.

"I... I don't like this place already. Actually, I didn't like this place _before_ we even came inside here. The whole environment is giving me the creeps." Shippo chattered, his teeth shaking as much as his voice.

"No need to worry... I agree it is quite dark in here, but we have no choice but to press on if we are to kill the spiders." Miroku said.

"We'll have to make do with the limited visibility. As a matter of fact, I think I can sense some sort of activity further towards the back." Sango said quietly, squinting her eyes to see ahead.

"Well, if its one thing I can guarantee you, is that they won't be moving around much by the time I'm through with them. Kagome, do you happen to sense any jewel shards?" Inuyasha asked.

"N... not yet. But I'll be able to tell for sure once we get in closer proximity." Kagome responded, still trembling slightly.

After a few more minutes upon walking, Kirara suddenly let out a loud roar. "Kirara!" Sango said, and everyone turned their attention to where Kirara was facing. Inuyasha's yellow eyes looked up to see an absolutely massive female spider clinged to an immense web, along with nearly thousands of small spiders accompanying it. Human sized webbed cocoons were strung up around the web itself and the ceiling, which were probably earlier human victims sealed up for food later on. Kagome and Shippo jumped away in total shock.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT SCARY THING!!!" both Kagome and Shippo exclaimed loudly in unison. Miroku and Sango gazed up at the scene, their eyes wide at the sight of something so utterly massive.

They were nearly speechless, but that didn't stop them from preparing to do battle. Sango automatically placed her hand on her Hiraikotsu while Miroku readied his staff. "Kagome! How many jewel shards can you sense from that thing?" he quickly asked.

"Umm... I see....." Kagome tried to recover from her shock, and counted the shards that were visible to her naked eye. "One... two... three.... there's six of them! There's at least six jewel shards!" Kagome said with brevity, as she pinpointed the exact locations of the shards. "There's one in its stomach, four in its legs, and one in its head!" she said aloud.

"That's a big surprise, because that's far more shards than any of the demons that we've encountered in the past had!" said Shippo.

"There's too many of them... far more of them than I couldn't come close to possibly count." Sango gritted her teeth.

"Well, all I can say is, either that the mother has gotten extremely lucky upon finding so many shards at once, or evidence strongly suggest someone GAVE the shards to it." Inuyasha said, his hand resting on the hilt of the Tetsusaiga sword.

"Gave it the shards? How is that possi---" before Kagome could even say anything, the larger than life spider demon let out a bone chilling shriek as it raced straight at the warriors with incredible speed.

"Guys! Watch out! Its headed straight for us!" Sango yelled, with blue and white energy lines streaking past her. Everyone followed up on her and quickly jumped out of the spider's path. The hulking eight legged freak of nature crashed into the entrance of the open area, knocking loose part of the stone archway. Dust and debris rained down upon the area where Inuyasha and the others previously stood, but that was the least of their worries, as the spider cocked its head and fired a long stream of boiling poison acid at the group. Again, Sango and everyone else dashed away as fast as they could, just barely dodging the deadly liquid. The acid burned its way through the ground, leaving a deep dissolving crater behind.

"That thing is fast!" Sango yelled, recovering out of a triple roll and standing back on her feet.

"The reason why its moving at a high speed is because the jewel shards are embedded in its legs. We need to somehow cut those shards out so that the spider will be at the disadvantage." Miroku replied, his body tense in deciding what to do next.

"Then its best that we kill this sorry bitch of a demon before it makes its next attack. That acid it just shot at us a moment ago isn't something we can shake off like its nothing." Inuyasha raised himself up from the ground, drawing the Tetsusaiga in the blink of an eye. What was once an old rattled and dull sword, had suddenly transformed into a beautiful razor sharp blade with a touch of his father's fur at the top of the hilt. A strong glint of light shone off the tip of the Tetsusaiga, primed to make its next kill.

"Be careful, Inuyasha! Don't get too cocky or anything while you're fighting! That's all it takes to end up forgetting about the spider's acid!" Kagome warned with a heavy concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've ran into much worse demons before. Everyone spread out! This'll make it easier for us to take this piece of shit from all angles." Inuyasha shouted. Everyone dispersed immediately, with Miroku and Sango staying near the entrance, and Kagome and Shippo moved to either side of the spider. Kirara stayed in the middle in a ready to pounce position. She let out a fierce growl, her sharp fangs gleaming in the darkness.

However, despite the new formation the six of them have taken, it didn't stop the spider demon from letting out another loud shriek. The banshee like cry had rang throughout the ears of everyone in the room, and Inuyasha covered his ears. He felt as if his brain were about to burst upon hearing the ultra high decibels of the sound. "Arghhhh! Would you shut the hell up!!!" Inuyasha cursed at the top of his lungs.

Just then, the rest of the entire legion of smaller spiders had started to rush forth upon the mother's call. They all joined together in one gigantic sea of demonic monsters, their fangs shaking and chattering with a spine tingling screech. "Oh no! Now they're coming for us!!!" Kagome jumped, still intimidated by the fact that she hated bugs - especially the disgusting eight legged ones. She thought it was bad enough she didn't like worms, but huge freakish spiders was sure to be at the top of her list.

Miroku hacked away at the oncoming spiders with his staff, swinging it with force in all directions and killing as many as he could. Sango lifted her Hiraikotsu and threw it in a grand arc, killing a good twenty spiders in a row. Kirara stomped hard on the attacking insects, plowing her way in a straight line and squashing every spider in her path.

"Fox Fire!!!" Shippo charged up a slightly bigger blue flame in his hand, a little more powerful than his normal Fox Fire attack, and threw it at the overhanging web. The fire spread across the silk trap in a mere amount of moments, easily incinerating most of the spiders.

Inuyasha stood in front of the mother spider, his reflection appearing one hundred times in the lenses of its six eyes. Inuyasha stared it right back in the eye, his grip on the Tetsusaiga strong and firm. "Before I rip you apart limb from limb, let me say this. You've picked the wrong group to mess with today." Inuyasha said, and with that he jumped into the air. A few of the smaller spiders came racing at him, and Inuyasha cracked his right hand.

"_Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!!!!!!!!!!_" Inuyasha shouted, decimating the spiders into bloody pieces with three quick slashes of his claw in succession. Inuyasha then took ahold of his sword and attempted to hack away at the mother spider, but it once again proved its speed by avoiding the up close blow and swatting one of its huge hairy legs at the half demon, swatting him down like a fly violently against the rocky wall. "Nnnnghhhhhh!!!!!" Inuyasha groaned, caught by surprise. "_Damn it! Even for a considerably weak spider demon, the jewel shards inside it make it lot stronger than I anticipated..._" he thought, his mind racing for an alternative on how to attack his foe.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the cramped space, Kagome was holding up her bow, carefully poising to attack the mother spider from behind with the shot of a sacred arrow. "Inuyasha! Hold on, I'm going to attack this big bug from behind!!!" she forewarned, witnessing the demon closing in on her cornered friend. "I can't afford to miss..."

Inuyasha breathed hard, trying to recover from the painful impact when he was knocked against the wall. His grip on the Tetsusaiga loosened a little, just before the mother spider skittered up close to him, its ugly fanged face just inches away from his body. "Gyaaaahhh!!!" Inuyasha yelled, as the spider demon raised another poison tipped leg. Inuyasha was getting ready to slash the leg as soon as it was a foot away from hitting him, but suddenly, a sparkling glint appeared from the corner of his eye.

"What!?" Inuyasha asked. His question was answered with an ear piercing screech from the spider, its raised leg being cleanly sliced off with the plowing of Kagome's arrow. Blood squirted up like a fountain from the stump, and the spider staggered backwards suffering from the attack. Inuyasha stared at Kagome in amazement, as she time and time again, saved his life unexpectedly. "Kagome..."

Kagome was fiery with her usual strength, seeming to not notice Inuyasha's brief stare of sincerity. "That was a close call! Hurry up and strike that ugly thing while its distracted!" the young girl called out.

"Hmm?" Inuyasha blinked. He returned to normal and stood back up on the edge of the extended rock, nodding. "Yeah, right! Hyaaaaaaaahh!!!!!" He dashed and jumped off the platform and swung his Tetsusaiga with all the strength he had, cutting off two of the spider's right legs in a single slice. Mixed in with the purplish blood glinted two of the jewel shards that gave it such powerful strength.

Inuyasha looked up in the air and saw them, a smile spreading across his face. "Aha! I thought so! That's two down..." Inuyasha said, running under the spider demon's belly and performing a upwards strike, slashing off its left hind leg. A third jewel shard flew up into the air and landed on the ground. "Kirara! Retrieve the loose shards! I'm going to finish the job by cutting off each part of its body one by one!" Inuyasha yelled over the deafening screams of the mother spider, with rivers of purple blood splashing onto the dirt. Kirara growled in response and ran after the three separate jewel shards, killing more spiders along the way. She picked each of them up in her mouth and ran back to Sango and Miroku to help them fight.

"Good job, Kirara." Sango praised her pet, right after hacking a group of incoming spiders in half with the swipe of her Hiraikotsu. She bent down and took the shards and placed them in a little pouch that was tied to the belt of her black and pink outfit. Miroku spun his staff and slammed some more spiders against the wall, killing them.

"There seems to be too many of them! It would be extremely helpful to use my Wind Tunnel right now, but I can't risk sucking the mother spider in because it still holds three more jewel shards inside it." Miroku said feverishly.

"I know, that's the bad part. And they just keep coming no matter how many of them we kill." Sango replied.

Shippo bounced back near them, setting another group of spiders on fire. "Inuyasha had better hurry before we become outnumbered by the spiders... and I have a bad feeling that won't be too far away from happening." he said, throwing a spinning top at a single spider.

The cave was even five times as noisy and cramped as before with even more spiders climbing from hidden alcoves in the walls. Kagome shot some arrows in some of the few holes that she could see, probably destroying the nests that lay deeper within them. "_The sheer amount of these things is absolutely ridiculous! They don't seem to end no matter what! The jewel shards must have gave the mother spider a greater ability to reproduce so much. And I know Miroku's Wind Tunnel would be a godsend right now, but that idea is out of the question. In the meantime, I'm just going to have rely on Inuyasha to finish the mother off. He has to hurry while we still have a fighting lead here!_" Kagome thought, taking another arrow out of her quiver.

Inuyasha plunged his right claw into the mother spider's abdomen, effortlessly tearing out the shard inside along with some its guts as well. The large insect reared back in a sufferable amount of pain, causing the earth to shake with each step it took. However, its involuntary thrashing of its legs happened to slash Inuyasha across the chest, creating a deep gash. Red blood squirted out of him, racing down his red robes. "Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Inuyasha cried and stumbled to the side.

The spider slammed itself against the wall and turned its head to spit another stream of acid at Inuyasha, but Sango came flying in on Kirara at the nick of time and grabbed him by the hand, getting him out of the way. "Inuyasha!!! Are you alright!?" Sango asked, with her friend now clear of the dissolving spot for where he once stood.

"Nnnghhhhh... Sango... Thanks for saving me... But I'll be okay! I've had far worse wounds. But if... it wasn't for you... I'd probably be dead right now." Inuyasha groaned.

"Save your strength, don't speak." Sango said.

"No.... I managed to get the shard in its stomach... but there's still two more." Inuyasha breathed, holding the shard in his hand.

Miroku and Shippo were still fighting off the onslaught of spiders, just as Sango arrived back with Inuyasha. Kagome sighed with relief as she saw the dog demon get carried to safety. "Whew! I'm grateful Inuyasha is out of harm's way..." Kagome said. But it wasn't over yet, as she turned her eyes to the mother spider and the realization had hit her that it set its sights on her next! "Oh no!!!" she said, taking a few steps back.

On the other side, Sango looked up and relayed the situation. "Damn, its going after Kagome now!" Sango said. Inuyasha climbed to his feet, alerted.

"What!? Its amazing how the shards can still keep that thing alive after dishing out so much punishment on it! I have to keep Kagome from getting hurt by that mangy excuse for a demon! Gyaaaaahhh!!!" Inuyasha yelled with rage, grabbing his Tetsusaiga and doing a mid-air dash, his body barreling straight for the mother spider.

Kagome hit the edge of the stone wall behind her, cornered. She narrowed her eyes and raised her bow again, enchanting the arrow with her holy power. "_I don't have much time! The spider is only a few feet away..._" she thought, with the grotesque demon closing in. She finally let the arrow loose, her body surrounded by swirling winds of holy energy. The sacred arrow shot forward at a high blinding speed, the tip of the blade zeroing in onto its target.

"KAGOME!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, using one hand to shield his eyes from the light that enveloped the entire cave. The earth trembled along with the spider's movements, and it leaped into the air to attack Kagome... but it was it too late. The arrow pierced straight through its chest with an overbearing forceful impact, causing it to explode into several bloody chunks of flesh. Gallons upon gallons of blood drenched the stone walls and ground with everyone covering themselves from the foul stench of the insect's internal liquids.

Sango squinted and saw a jewel shard flying up into the air. "Kirara, there!" Sango pointed, and her pet leapt up and snagged it in her mouth. As Kirara returned to Sango, Sango looked around some more. "Hm? That's strange. Is that the only one? There should have been two shards..."

After a few moments of suspense, the holy light had finally dimmed down, reverting back to the dark and moist appearance of the cave. Kagome shielded herself, some of the blood splashing onto her uniform. Inuyasha opened his eyes again, and could barely say anything, his feet lightly touching the ground again. He stared at Kagome, nearly struck in awe at her increase in power. "She... she's killed the demon in one swift shot... How... how did Kagome get all of that strength for one attack?" Inuyasha quietly uttered to himself.

Inuyasha knew that this wasn't the time for any questions. He ran up to Kagome and put his hands on her shoulders. "Kagome, are you alright?" he asked. Kagome turned and opened her eyes, the sight of Inuyasha's concerned face relieving all of the tension that she felt a minute ago. She took a deep breath and regained her balance, a slight smile forming from her lips.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Although I'm not too thrilled about having a spider's nasty blood all over my uniform." Kagome's eyes became beady as she looked down at her clothes.

Inuyasha laughed softly a little. "Hey, we all got bathed in demon blood. Don't worry about it." he responded.

With a sudden loud thud, the spider's head landed before Inuyasha and Kagome intact, with some entrails of bloody tissue hanging from its severed neck. "Ahhhh!!! The head... is still here!" Kagome shivered.

"Hmph, all the more proof to show that it was slayed." Inuyasha said, beginning to become at ease that the battle with the mother was over.

Meanwhile, Shippo pointed over to the spider's head as Miroku and Sango were fighting off another hurrah of spiders. "Look! The mother's head is still there, so that must mean that the sixth shard is inside it, Sango." Shippo told her.

"You're right! Good, that's one less thing to worry about now! Miroku! Use your Wind Tunnel now! The jewel shards have been secured for us to take." Sango said.

"Right, I'm on it!" Miroku said, releasing the beads that were tied to the cloth on his hand that restrained the hole inside.

"WIND TUNNEL!!!" Miroku snapped his right hand up, revealing the black hole that was cursed upon him. A reverse torrential wind took bloom upon the cave, and the army of spiders were being sucked into the endless dark abyss to never see the light of day ever again. The spiders shrieked for their lives but nothing could save them from their doom. In a manner of minutes, every single attacking spider was now safely sucked up into Miroku's Wind Tunnel. Not a single one left was standing to pose a threat to the group.

"That's the last of them, finally." Miroku said, sealing up his hand with the beads.

Shippo sighed hard. "You can say _that_ again for sure. I thought those things would never stop coming." the boy said, his eyes following the pools of purple blood that littered the whole lot of the cavern altogether.

"Ughhhh..." Inuyasha groaned again a little, holding the horizontal wound on his chest. He balanced his weight on the Tetsusaiga, with his blood dripping down in front of the blade.

"Inuyasha! You're still hurt from that wound that spider gave you..." Kagome said, reaching for him.

"Heh heh... its no big deal. Think nothing of it..... Nnnghhh.... Its just a scratch." he calmly protested.

"Hey, drop the tough guy act and let me take a look at it. I might be able to know which medicines to use to stop the bleeding. You shouldn't hide your injuries if you know you need medical attention!" Kagome said forcefully.

"Oh _brother_, another lecture! If you got something long winded and pointless to tell me, then I don't wanna hear it!!!" Inuyasha yelled back, an angry vein pulsating on his forehead.

"What was that!? First I save your half demon butt from getting skewered like a piece of meat, then I try to help you out and this is the thanks I get!? Say it again to my face, doggie ears!" Kagome shot back, her face turning red.

"Hey, you know what I said! You heard me, so don't go pretending you fell on deaf ears! You're looking for another excuse to give me a lecture on how to act!" Inuyasha said, sticking out his tongue.

"WHAT!? YOU JERK!!!!!!!" Kagome turned around, her fists clenched and turning white. "SIT, BOY!!!" Kagome yelled.

"HEY! WAIT JUST A SEC-----" Inuyasha was cut off as the beads around his neck forced him face first onto the ground with a loud thud, subduing the angst ridden half demon.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara walked up to the two of them, idly watching Inuyasha twitching on the ground. "Another demon slayed, another demon disciplined." Sango said, shrugging.

"He should never deny help whenever he needs it." Miroku said, sighing.

"He's better off not making a girl like Kagome angry. It'd avoid him having dirt in his diet more often." Shippo chimed in.

Miroku walked over to the motionless spider head and raised his staff. "We'd better remove the last jewel shard now that the mother is dead..." he said. However, just as he was about to slam the edge of his staff into the creature's brain, a certain glow shone out of its mouth. "What!? Its still alive? How can that be? It was decapitated!" said Miroku.

Inuyasha scurried himself up and saw the scene. "What the!? What's happening?"

"The head! Hurry and kill it before----" Sango didn't get to finish her sentence, as the head sprang up to life and shot itself directly at the vulnerable Kagome. Kagome sensed the jewel shard reawakened and turned around, gasping in terror. The spider's fangs were outstretched and dripping with poison.

"KAGOME! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!" Inuyasha yelled at her, leaping up to his feet and preparing to run and tackle her out of the head's way. But the head had moved far too fast before Inuyasha could intercept it. The head forced its fangs onto the side of Kagome's torso, impaling its sharp teeth deep into her flesh.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Kagome screamed out right after trying to stumble out of the spider head's reach. A mass amount of blood rained down her side and dress, her legs painted with the thick red liquid.

Inside the spider's mouth, a small seed was spit into Kagome's bloody wound and implanted into the fleshy red tissue, disappearing from view. As the spider head completed its task, its last remaining moments of life was taken away, as Inuyasha rushed in front of Kagome in a heated rage. "_IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_" Inuyasha slashed the head five times, blowing it away into pieces. The jewel shard which was inside had quietly fallen into the half demon's palm, where he clenched it hard as much as he did his teeth. Inuyasha's jaws were fraught with pain as he caught the falling Kagome in his arms, the blank expression on her innocent face sending a jolt through his rapidly beating heart.

"K... Kagome! Are you alright? Speak to me! Can you talk!?" Inuyasha demanded in a panic. Miroku, Sango and Shippo rushed up worriedly.

"Kagome!!!" Shippo cried, shaking the girl's arm. Kagome's eyes fluttered open a little, the searing sting of the spider's fangs shooting through her body. She was paralyzed, and had difficulty speaking.

"In.. u... yas... ha..." Kagome slowly spoke. Those were the only words she could say before her eyes became dilated. A trickle of blood spilled from her mouth, running down Inuyasha's hand as he skimmed her cheek with it.

"KAGOME!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, trying his best to fight back his tears.

Miroku leaned over and helped Inuyasha stand her body up. "Kagome, don't speak." He looked over at Inuyasha and Sango. "Her wounds are very serious, and the blood flow is immense. We have to get her out of here and tend to the wound as fast as possible before Kagome passes out. If she loses too much blood..." Miroku's voice trailed off.

Inuyasha turned around and squashed the little remains of the spider demon's head with his bare foot. "Blast that fucking spider for injuring her!!! If that thing was alive again I would personally make its second death one hundred times more painful than the first!" Inuyasha said, a stinging tear rolling down his right cheek. "If only... if only I reacted faster... its my fault for not protecting Kagome properly enough... I'm supposed to be there for her..." Inuyasha's voice was starting to break with sorrowful emotion. "If I had killed that demon completely earlier, than this wouldn't have happened."

Shippo tugged softly on Inuyasha's pants. "D... Don't blame yourself Inuyasha... it wasn't your fault..." Shippo said, in tears himself. Miroku placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Listen, Inuyasha, it wasn't your fault at all. Shippo is right, and Kagome would have said the same. We can't dwell on what ifs right now." the monk said in a low tone. 

"Inuyasha, the most important thing is getting Kagome's wounds treated. Don't even let the past enter your mind, none of us could have predicted what would happen right now." Sango nodded to Inuyasha. Inuyasha remained silent, taking into thought of what his friends were telling him. After a stunning moment of silence, he nodded, his white hair covering the front of his eyes. He was unable to look anyone else straight in the eye after the immense place of fault he was feeling. Miroku's voice broke his thoughts.

"Come, let's hurry and get back to the village. I'm positive that we can find a means of helping Kagome once we arrive there." Miroku said, as he and Sango sat down on Kirara's back, propping Kagome between them for safety. Shippo climbed onto Inuyasha's back and the group left the cave in a hurry, being greeted with the fresh air of outside. But it was then that Inuyasha looked up into the sky and noticed something.

"Hey, hold on! Look up there!" Inuyasha pointed. Miroku and the others followed his gaze in time to catch a glimpse of a swarm of the Saimyoushou, Naraku's poison insects, flying away in the direction above the forest.

"Poison insects!? But what in the world are they doing here?" Sango asked. Inuyasha carefully used his excellent sense of smell to sniff the air.

"That's a good question. The air is heavy with their unmistakable scent. I can tell that they've been hanging around here for awhile. Most likely the entire time we were in the cave." Inuyasha replied, his eyes narrowed. "This obviously means that Naraku definitely had something to do with the spider demons we all just fought. It was actually some sort of an entire set up!"

"We should have known!" Miroku said.

"Its most likely true, as the mother spider happened to be carrying so many jewel shards on it to begin with." Sango agreed.

"Yes, and its possible that Naraku had came here on his own and placed the shards in the spider demon, making it immediately go rabid and attacking the people that came by the cave. This would explain the sudden murdering of the villagers, as the spiders weren't technically harming anyone beforehand." Miroku concluded.

"It makes enough sense that Naraku somehow found out that we'd be heading here and set this trap in hopes of getting us all killed. But at the same time his stupid plan virtually failed seeing as we killed all of the demons." Shippo said.

"While that may be true, I still can't shake the feeling that the encounter with those spiders was a bit _too_ easy. It just seems so odd that Naraku would pull off such a weird stunt considering the much worse things he's capable of. If he could create two powerful extensions of his self like Kagura of the Wind and Kanna of the Void, why would we go to so much trouble of doing a petty thing like this? It doesn't sound right to me." Inuyasha said thoughtfully, his mind unable to come up with a proper answer.

"Well, if we follow the Saimyoushou, then there's a high chance they'll lead us straight to Naraku." Shippo suggested.

"But we can't do that! We shouldn't worry about that right now. We should just get back to the village and get Kagome to a medicine specialist as soon as possible." Sango said.

"Grrrr... you're right, Sango. The longer we waste our time, the worse Kagome's condition will get, and I'm not about to let that shit happen! Come on, let's go!!!" Inuyasha said, still feeling angry at the fact that he couldn't save Kagome from getting impaled earlier. Everyone rushed off on the dirt path back towards the village at top speed.

"_Kagome... everything will be alright. Your wounds will be taken care of, I'll guarantee you that, no matter what it takes. Even though I don't show it, I'm truly scared to death for the fact if I had lost you, I don't know what I would do... I should have acted quicker. I should have been on my feet ready to defend you from harm, but I was too slow. Even though our friends tell me it wasn't my fault... shaking off this guilt isn't easy. I can't ignore it especially when you're this kind of pain. But don't worry, I'll ensure that you'll get the treatment you need._" Inuyasha thought in his mind as he and Kirara and the others raced side by side, only a mile away from the village.

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Somewhere within the forest, the Saimyoushou swarm had stopped and lowered themselves down near one of the tall trees. Shrouded in the shade of the tree leaves stood a figure donned in a white baboon fur. The red eyes that glared through the baboon's empty eye sockets signified a dreadful stare of death, making the figure's very presence alone questionable in such peaceful scenery. The insect that led the swarm hovered in front of the figure, putting three jewel shards in the baboon's waiting hand.

The mouth under the baboon's teeth slowly smiled. "Excellent. The search did not prove to be a disappointment after all." the calm voice of Naraku spoke. He shifted the newfound shards between his hands playfully, softly laughing to himself. "While it appears that I may have overused far too many shards required to corrupt the mindless soul of the spider demon, either way my plan has worked out flawlessly with no room for regrets."

Naraku's head bowed down a little, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular, whereas his mind was focused on the task at hand. "With time and patience the Shikon Jewel of the Four Souls will finally be complete, and I must thank Kikyo for assisting me in shortening my search of the remaining shards by tenfold." Naraku took out the nearly complete Shikon Jewel, adding the new shards to it to fill up a little more the jagged groove at the edge of the beautiful sphere of mysticism. "Once Inuyasha and his annoying allies are out of my way, then my dream to becoming the most superior and powerful demon that has ever existed upon this pitiful world will soon become a nightmarish reality."

Naraku said nothing more, disappearing in a purple whirlwind cloud, and the Saimyoushou along with him.

__

The End of Chapter 3.


	4. Kagome Poisoned! The Anger Empowered Win...

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 4: Kagome Poisoned!! The Anger Empowered Wind Scar

The stampeding of Inuyasha and his friends' footsteps quaked the dirt road path with stunning haste and precision, as a weakened Kagome leaned against Sango's back, riding on Kirara. Kirara and Inuyasha both ran side by side together at a blinding pace, going straight back to the village from where they originally came. Within a few minutes, they reached the entrance of the village once again, where they ran straight into another crowd of locals.

"Hey, its those young fellows again! They've actually come back! For a moment there I thought they weren't going to make it from that spider cave..." one of the locals pointed to the approaching six fighters.

"Well if you ask me, anyone who came back alive from that death trap surely must have done the job right!" one of the old men said.

Kirara soon put herself to a stop, and Miroku and Sango climbed off, with the monk holding Kagome on his back. Inuyasha followed up right behind, his face heated with pure desperation. "Listen, we don't have much time to talk about how we saved your useless asses, you got that? Now you mind telling us if there's some sort of a medicine specialist living around here?" Inuyasha demanded, his angry voice putting a chill down the locals' spines. One of them quietly stepped forward, his eyes bulging with nervousness.

"Saved us!? You... you mean all of you actually managed to slay all of the spider demons? The entire nest, no doubt?" the man asked.

Inuyasha nearly turned red and grabbed the man by the collar, lifting him into the air. "Hey! Are you deaf, you retard!? I'm only gonna ask you this _once_... Where is your town medicine specialist???"

"Aaaahhh! D... don't hurt me!!! Please, all I asked..." the man sputtered. Sango came over and held Inuyasha back.

"Stop that, Inuyasha! That's no reason for you to start and trouble!" Sango said.

"Hmph! Whatever! Whenever you see someone clearly hurt and bleeding, I don't think the first thing you should ask if the bounty has been hunted." Inuyasha said, letting go of the man. The man stumbled back into a woman's arms, and an old man came forward.

"Excuse me, but please forgive us for being so frugal on our thanks... We didn't mean to cause any trouble. From what you say, we can gather that you've already taken care of the problems from the spider demon cave, and we're quite surprised at your strength and bravery. If you hadn't came along, none of us wouldn't have known what to do in case our original fire plan had failed. We greatly thank you, and we are very appreciative." the old man said.

"The situation did not pose too much of a problem for us at all, sir. But there's not much of a need for thanks, however, we do require immediate attention. During our battle with the demons, our friend has gotten badly hurt and we need to know if there is anyone who could treat the wound as quickly as possible." Miroku said. Kagome moaned a little, her eyes closed.

"Why yes, of course! Anything for the ones who saved our village! There's a doctor's hut just a few houses down, you can't miss it. Hopefully the doctor there can help your injured friend." a woman replied, pointing a ways down to the hut.

"Thank you so much, miss." Sango nodded.

"Come on, let's hurry up and see this guy. Kagome can't afford to lose any more blood." Inuyasha said, grinding his teeth. 

"Right!" Miroku said, following the others down to the doctor's hut.

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"Oh, my... this the most serious and deepest wound I have run into the longest while..." the old doctor sighed to himself, his frail fingers gently gripping the medical tongs he used to treat Kagome's open wound on the left side of her stomach. His forehead glistened with a light coat of nervous sweat, the large candle on the table nearby flickering as almost in a synchronized motion each time the doctor stitched up Kagome's wound. 

After halfway of finishing up the stitches, he then ground up some herbs in a pot and used it to sprinkle the bits inside of the wound. A nerve wracking hour and a half passed by as Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara impatiently waited in the next room, the ticking of the sundial in the middle of the room moving slowly. Ever since they had brought Kagome into the doctor's two room hut, every minute that passed by since the doctor had begun his treatment had seemed like an eternity.

While Inuyasha and the others waited, the doctor was still hard at work intent on healing his patient. However, he soon grew weary when he noticed some oddities. The first thing he took note of was that the purple shaded area on Kagome's side has not seemed to disappear. 

"_It is quite strange, indeed... this discoloration refuses to go away, and not only that, she appears to have struck with a high fever and can barely muster the strength to speak as well._" the doctor thought, his own pulse racing. "_I can't seem to figure it out. Even with the healing herbs I have used, she still doesn't show any signs of recovery. I was never one to be pessimistic for all the patients I've had before, but I already fear the worst for Kagome._" the old man thought, shaking his head sadly. Before he could make another analysis, Inuyasha and the others brushed their way into the small room.

"Hey, old quack! Is Kagome going to be alright? She will be okay now, won't she?" Inuyasha asked eagerly with a slight tremble in his voice. The doctor had just finished the stitching procedure and stood up to face the others, clearing his throat.

"Well, while I was able to close the wound up and stop the internal bleeding altogether, I'm afraid to say that..." his voice trailed off.

"What is it??? Isn't Kagome feeling any better?" an anxious Shippo asked.

"... I'd hate to be the one to say this, but I shall. While Kagome does appear to be still conscious, apparently her condition remains unchanged. She hasn't been able to say a single word yet, and her breathing is rather short handed. I don't have any more knowledge on what action to take from this point on." the doctor said in hesitation.

"_What!?!?_" Inuyasha asked, raising his fist. He grabbed the doctor's garb and pushed him against the clay wall, the half demon's face twisted in an unbelievable frustrated rage. "Listen, you old coot, I don't have any more time to waste sitting around worrying myself to death in that claustrophobic piece of shit you call you a living room!!! You had _better_ do your job as a doctor and help Kagome, or else....." Inuyasha stopped himself in time to avoid letting the others in on his true feelings for Kagome. 

Inuyasha was already embarrassed to show the rare side of his human sympathy for the first time back in the cave, but he figured now was not the right place or time to be so adamant about his actions. But somewhere deep down inside him, he might have already knew that Miroku, Sango, and Shippo were oblivious to the fact that he loved Kagome, due the various ways he had reacted should the mere subject be brought up.

This time, however, Inuyasha could not hide it as easily as he hoped. From the way he had reacted when it seemed that Kagome was in serious risk of getting killed during a battle, his intentions were no longer a secret. And here he was now, primed with the utmost of concern for the one girl he loved - and he was deathly scared of the fact that he might lose her... just as he was afraid when he had thought he'd lost Kikyo a long time ago.

The doctor did not falter nor show any fright from Inuyasha's sudden outburst. The doctor knew what to expect, and he knew the white haired young man was only reacting this way out of worry for his friend. He looked right back into Inuyasha's yellow eyes, and he felt himself being lowered back to the floor. Miroku had put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, giving the doctor a serious expression. "Doctor, please... Isn't there anything you can do to help Kagome? Surely you must know something with all your experience in herbal medicines." the monk queried. The doctor closed his eyes while folding his arms.

"Believe me, my friend, if had any clue related to this most strange sickness, I would have gladly taken upon the task the first moment it entered my mind. But no matter how many possible kind of remedies I could recommend to myself, I am still baffled at these type of symptoms. Normally I have never had a patient whose undergone rapid short breathing and nearly a loss of voice, and discoloration of the skin. Myself alone is frustrated at the inability to cure it." the doctor responded. Miroku raised an eyebrow upon hearing the man's words.

"Wait a moment... did you say discoloration of the skin? Do you mind if we take a look at Kagome?" Miroku asked, his interested peaked.

"Why, yes. I don't see why not." the doctor nodded, stepping out of the way as the others came up to the hay bed Kagome lie on.

Sango placed her hand on Kagome's red shaded forehead, her voice filled with sadness. "She really is burning up. It almost feels as if her face was burned." she said as she looked down into the beautiful school girl's innocent face. Kagome groaned a little as Miroku lifted her hand into his.

"I still find it strange how none of the herbs that were used did not help improve her condition, nor at least help her feel better." Miroku said.

"Even though I guarantee you that the bleeding has stopped, the growth of the purple area on her side does not seem to fade." the doctor said, as Miroku raised Kagome's shirt to reveal the dark purple area of her skin. Sango and Shippo gasped upon seeing this sight, and Inuyasha bent down and examined the spot.

"Hmm..." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. "Something isn't right here." he leaned even closer, putting his hand on Kagome's side.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"While I'm not too sure about it... I think I can sense and even feel some sort of a small vibrating pulse... something seems to be pulsating inside Kagome. Sango, can you sense it too?" Inuyasha looked at his friend. Sango closed her eyes and put her hand over the same area. A moment of silence passed, then she spoke.

"I feel it too! The pulse is very faint, but its there. It can't be mistaken for any of Kagome's organs. This pulse... has a different feel to it. It sounds weird, but it feels so heavy... almost in a dark way." Sango said lightly.

"Just as I thought too. But I wonder what could be the cause of this?" Miroku questioned.

"Yeah, I mean, could it have been possible that the spider demon secreted some sort of disease into Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"Hmm, not any type of disease, but perhaps...---" Suddenly, a loud ground shaking eruption was heard outside of the hut, followed up by a dozen screams. "Wait a minute, what the hell was that?!" Inuyasha said, spinning around. Miroku and the others stood up, alerted.

"It sounds like the villagers are being attacked!" Miroku said.

"Let's go check it out!" Sango urged, and everyone piled out of the small room. Inuyasha was the last to leave, and he turned to Shippo and the doctor.

"Shippo, Doc, the both of you stay here, okay? We're going out to see what's going on." he ordered.

"Right, Inuyasha! We'll keep an eye on Kagome!" Shippo saluted.

"Be careful out there, now!" the doctor warned. Inuyasha said no more, as he nodded and ran outside after his friends in the blink of an eye.

Behind Shippo, Kagome's eyes opened a little, her point of view just barely missing the red of Inuyasha's outfit disappearing from the drape of the door. Her reddened face brightened with such helplessness and her eyes were nearly dead to the world. She strained her own vocal cords, the young girl only having the littlest bit of energy to murmur the name of one boy. "Inu... yas... ha..." Kagome's eyes then fell heavy and closed shut, the image of Inuyasha's warm smiling face burned into the endless black pigment her conscious could only see.

----------------------------------------

All of the villagers scattered like tiny insects through wide open crop fields, screaming and running for the safety of their homes, as the colossal hulking figure of a three eyed dual horned demon made its crashing entrance upon the area from the accompanying forest from where it came, which was caught in smoldering inferno of white hot flames.

"Ahhhh!!! Its some sort of a fire demon! Run for your lives!!!" a man said, running along with several others and dashing straight past Inuyasha and his friends, who had just arrived on time to see the fire breathing demon spew out a big ball of fire right onto a handful of locals, incinerating them in an instant.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! HELLLLLLPPPPPPP!!!!" the locals screamed at the top of their lungs, but it only just a mere amount of seconds before nothing but charred bones lay behind where they collapsed onto the ground. Inuyasha and the others rushed ahead, seeing the crop fields littered with the dead bodies of the villagers set aflame. Miroku looked up the demon, not faltering very much as he's seen many demons this size before.

"Its a large demon! So this is what's been causing all the commotion!" the monk said. Inuyasha scoffed as usual, his left hand lowering to the hilt of his sheathed Tetsusaiga.

"Well, that's your call, monk. But if you ask me, I think its about to be a _dead_ demon. Hyaaaahhh!!!" and with that, Inuyasha drew out the Tetsusaiga, the sword seamlessly transforming into its true form. The demon's grotesque face reflected right off the edge of the Tetsusaiga, its wielder poised to kill his target with the least of sympathy. "I guess we have no choice but to save these humans for a second time! Well, this thing is going down either way, and I bet I won't even break much of a sweat!!!" Inuyasha declared, taking a grand leap up into the air.

"Grrrrryaaaaaaahhhh!!!" the demon roared as he conjured up another ball of fire to spit at the approaching half demon. But the demon barely had the time to attack, as Inuyasha sliced off its right arm with fierce vigor. A long yellowish trail of energy flowed from the Tetsusaiga, arcing itself out through the attack. The severed right arm plummeted down onto the ground in front of Miroku and Sango, and the demon didn't even seemed fazed by Inuyasha's attack.

"What the!? That's weird, shouldn't the demon be hollering like a baby now that I gave it an official handicap!?" Inuyasha said to himself, pushing his body off of the demon's chest and bounced backwards. "Well, I guess there's no time to worry about that. Better just go straight for the kill--- Ahhhhh!!!" Inuyasha yelled, being caught off guard from behind by the demon's left claw. Inuyasha was smacked hard down onto the dirt surface, the back of his red robes having three slash marks.

"Nnnghh... Damn it, as big as it may be, it sure is unusually fast!" Inuyasha groaned, using the Tetsusaiga as a brace to stand himself back up. But as soon as he did that, he could see the demon pulling off another counter attack, its claw was swiping right for him. "Oh no!!!" Inuyasha said, realizing that he didn't have enough time to dodge getting hit.

"_HIRAIKOTSU!!!!!!!_" Sango's voice rang into Inuyasha's ears, as her boomerang came swinging in and impaling itself deep into the demon's wrist, sending out gallons of its blood flying out like a geyser. Inuyasha turned around to see Sango riding in on Kirara, waving her hand. "Inuyasha! Are you okay!?" she shouted.

"Sango! Heh, that's _twice_ I owe you for saving my ass on the same day. Thanks, but I'm alright! This big son of a bitch is pretty quick with its attacks, though, I'll grant you that!" Inuyasha replied. Miroku ran up from behind Sango. 

"Then this means we're better off attacking it simultaneously. Now that both of its arms are pretty much useless, we can finish it off without too much difficulty." Miroku said, dashing at the demon and jumping off its foot and onto its leg. 

The demon breathed another hot stream of fire, but Miroku dodged it by jumping towards its stomach. Miroku twirled its staff and plunged it directly into its stomach. Miroku then followed up by taking a talisman out of his robe and exerting some energy into it. He placed the talisman above the wound and then jumped away, making some motions with his hand. "Haaaaaa!!!" Miroku then summoned the talisman to paralyze the demon in place, making it unable to attack.

"There! I couldn't do much damage to the demon initially, but the spell I just used causes paralysis upon its target. But since this is demon that's much bigger than normal, the spell will only last a few seconds." Miroku said, landing back beside Inuyasha. Inuyasha gripped his sword and posed, wiping his face his with sleeve. 

"Then those few seconds will be put to good use once I finish the bastard off for good before it kills anymore people. Haaaaaaaaa!!!!!" Inuyasha swung his sword around his head in full circle, a bright bluish light forming around his body like an aura. Inuyasha then swung his Tetsusaiga twice vertically, sending out a powerful jagged cross shaped energy blast directly at the paralyzed demon's head, blowing it to pieces in bloody explosion and killing it instantly. The demon's remaining body fell to the ground with a surface shaking thud, trails of smoke rising from the stump that was its neck.

When the light from the attack cleared, Inuyasha opened his eyes and watched the demon's entire body whither away into bones and eventually crumbling dust. "Now that was rather easy. Far easier than those pesky spider demons. He never even stood a chance in the beginning." Inuyasha said, weighing the Tetsusaiga on his back and putting his free hand against his side. Inuyasha's proud victory was interrupted by the overbearing cheers of the crowd of villagers, who were now out in the open from their hiding places.

"They saved us again!!! My, what fine heroes they are!" a woman said excitedly. 

"Yes, thank the heavens they came to our aid. Fate must have been on our side for such brave warriors to come ward off the evil that threatens our home!" a man joined in, sounding relieved. Miroku sighed lightly, putting his hands inside the sleeves of his robes while balancing the staff against his left arm. 

"My, it seems that we are already making quite a name for ourselves around here. First the spider demons, then having the town doctor help Kagome, and now the slaying of a fire breathing demon. Let's hope this will be the last of our fifteen minutes of fame." Miroku commented, his eyes closed.

"True, but don't you guys sense that something strange is going on here? I can't exactly pinpoint it, but doesn't it seem odd that if Naraku were to set up a trap for us back in the spider demon cave, then surely he must have created this demon to come and attack the village in order to draw our attention?" said Sango thoughtfully. 

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, sticking the Tetsusaiga into the dirt below. "I do agree that it seems unnatural for Naraku to think these weak traps do the work of getting rid of us for him, but then again, when you truly think about it, that bastard will do anything he can in his power to make sure he sees our heads on spikes." Inuyasha agreed.

"Yes, and these small mischievous acts of Naraku's usually have a tendency to lead up to much bigger things. Considering all knowledge about him and his ways, we'll have to be cautious as to what he has planned next." Miroku said, his eyes overlooking the same spot where the former demon's dead body used to lie. "Oh, we'll be ready alright..." Inuyasha said over the loud cheers of the villagers.

Just then, out of nowhere, the skies had started to change from blue to purple, and black clouds loomed above the village. What was once the normal symphonic melody of birds tweeting on a normal day was now replaced with the darkest of night, the clouds threatening to drown the crop fields with a menacing thunderstorm. A sharp crackle of a thunderbolt crashed down around the fields, and the villagers all slowly backed up with fear, looking up at the sky. "Wh... what's going on!?" a man asked. "Oh no!!! It can't be another demon coming to attack us, can it? Its an apocalypse!!!" another man said.

"Grrr, I really wish those idiots would shut the hell up. Apocalypse my ass!" Inuyasha said as Miroku, Sango, and Kirara became tense. "I know that scent all too well to mistake this for anything else..." Inuyasha said sniffing the air, an infuriating smell invading his sensitive nostrils.

"Then that could only mean..." Miroku murmured, as a purple whirlwind stormed onto the plains, directly in front of everyone. 

Inuyasha yanked his sword up, his eyes darting in all the directions. "I knew as much..." he said to himself, fixing his eyes on the whirlwind.

Meanwhile, Shippo was looking at the scene outside from the window of the doctor's hut. "Whoa, now what's going on? I've got a bad feeling about this dark storm..." Shippo said. Back at the crop fields, the whirlwind had dissipated with the transparent image of a hunched figure. Inuyasha squinted his eyes, and they opened wide when he saw Naraku, dressed in his white baboon outfit. 

Naraku silently strode forward in a less than chalant entrance, making his appearance known to his enemies. The onlooking villagers cowardly retreated back into their homes again, all hoping that this wasn't another catastrophe about to begin. Inuyasha pointed his Tetsusaiga at Naraku, his demonic blood inside him boiling at the very sight of the man he hated with all of his heart and soul.

"NARAKU!!! I expected that you'd show your ugly face here once that stupid wind of yours appeared." Inuyasha said, his face taut with anger. Naraku only responded with a low unemotional laughter. 

"Naraku was definitely the one sent the fire demon here! It all comes together now. We weren't wrong after all!" Miroku accused. Naraku ceased his laugh and remained in place, his red eyes pale from the eyes of the baboon mask.

"Hmm, how very perceptive. You are correct, young monk. I merely created the fire demon as a ruse to predecess my arrival. And as expected, the weakling was not much of a decent match for the likes the half demon Inuyasha and his allies. What an impressive show of tenacity and strength. Might I also confirm that indeed it was I who set the trap inside the spider demon cave, a plan that all of you have seemingly foiled. Whilst fueling the mother spider with shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel of the Four Souls, whereas I have taken the liberty of corrupting with my evil power, I had hoped that all of you would fall prey to its rage." Naraku said.

"Ha! Sorry to break the news to you, pal, but your oh-so-well-thought-out plan all fell to shit. Once again I completely underestimated you, Naraku. You truly are an idiot if you thought an armada of spider demons would stop us dead in our tracks, let alone take me down especially. Seeing as your role as the big bad guy here, I would think you would know better than that." Inuyasha scoffed. 

"While you may have gotten away with murdering a handful of innocent people in the process of your sick scheming, you're going to pay here and now for all of the destruction you've caused over the months." Sango said angrily. Naraku laughed again, shrugging off their words of attack.

"Hmph, you utter fools! Did you truly think that for someone so powerful of my own stature would put so much total reliable faith in a lesser demon to kill off my enemies? What a ridiculous conclusion to abhor in your limited minds. I have already concocted my true plan to fall back on far ahead to begin with, and with none of you being the wiser, I have indefinitely succeeded." Naraku replied. 

Miroku was confused. "What!? What do you mean by that?"

An evil smile slowly unfurled under the baboon's upper teeth. "Do you so desperately want to know the truth? Please, allow me to explain it slowly." Naraku said. "I want to savor the expressions of despair on your faces for as long as possible."

----------------------------------------

Inside the doctor's hut, Shippo was still watching the scene from the window, his furry little tail wiggling. "Oh no, just as I thought! Naraku's shown up, and Inuyasha and the others are most likely getting ready to do battle with him!" Shippo said. Just in back of the young fox boy, Kagome was lying on the hay bed, overhearing all of his words and the commotion from outside. 

"Na... ra... ku..." Kagome moaned, attempting to gather up what little strength she had left inside her. "_I have... I have to help Inuyasha... to stop Naraku. If I'm not there..._" Kagome thought, slowly rising herself up from the hay that served as her bed. Then, with the thought of Inuyasha and her friends being in the worst of danger, with an amazing sudden strength she rose up to her feet, grabbing the bow and arrow that leaned against the wall beside her. The doctor had just came back inside the room, and he nearly jumped from seeing his patient standing. He rushed to Kagome's side, holding her arm.

"Kagome! Please, lay back down immediately! You're absolutely in no condition to do anything, and I yet to determine an analysis for your sickness. Kagome, do not do this! My job is to make sure you remain here where it is safe!" the old man pleaded. 

Shippo turned around and heard this, running over to Kagome's side. "Kagome!!! What are you doing up? You weren't planning to go outside, where you!? Naraku is out there, and Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku are facing him right now!" Shippo told her.

Kagome shook her head, her vision still a little cloudy. She stared back at the doctor, her brown eyes glazed with a fiery sadness. "Doctor, please. I thank you for helping me with my wounds, and I don't mean any disrespect. But my friends are out there and are about to fight a very terrible and powerful demon, and I can't just sit idly by and do nothing. I have to do my part... because I'm a member of the team. If something should happen to any of my friends, I'd never forgive myself knowing if I was out there on the battlefield with them, I could have changed the outcome. Please, sir. I have to go out there!" Kagome confided in the doctor. 

Although the man could perfectly understand her disposition, what he feared more was the fact that he would be going against what he promised Inuyasha - that he would keep Kagome here in the hut where she would be safe. And now that this new commotion had broken out, he couldn't afford to let his patient leave his care... only to risk being killed by god knows what.

"Kagome, I am sorry, but nothing can cause me to release you from this room. If your friend, Inuyasha is capable of handling the means of whatever is going on out there right now, then it would be for the better if you stayed out of harm's way. As a doctor, it is my duty to ensure that you receive the proper treatment for your wound. You are still not up to par, and..." the doctor seemed to be verbally fighting a losing battle, as he witnessed Kagome drag herself outside of the room and towards the front door.

Shippo ran ahead and pulled on Kagome's leg, his eyes explaining more than would he could actually say. "Kagome!!! Listen to us! Inuyasha will be really upset if you end up exerting yourself like this when you should be still in bed! And... I don't want to see you get hurt, either! Kagomeeeee!!!" Shippo wailed.

Kagome paused, holding the blood caked dried side of her torn school outfit. She bent down and picked Shippo up in her arms, a weak, but meaningful smile on her face. "Shippo... listen. I'll admit that I may not have the physical strength right now, but something within me is giving me that same strength to carry on... perhaps its the holy energy inside me reacting to my desperation... but in any event whether anyone likes it or not, Inuyasha needs my help. Now that Naraku has shown himself, I swore to my own heart that I refuse to let him escape our reach no matter how badly injured I may be. Naraku will die... and I'll see to it that that happens." Kagome said. 

Shippo fought back to keep from crying out of concern, but he knew exactly what she meant. The doctor stood there, unsure of what to do. Kagome lifted up the shade to the front door, stopping to face him.

"Not to worry. I assure you that I'll be okay. I can at least walk. It won't be your fault, doctor." Kagome said, and the doctor reluctantly nodded in response. She looked down at Shippo. "Alright, Shippo! Let's go get Naraku!" she said. 

"Yeah! I'm right along with you!!!" Shippo agreed, ready to do battle.

----------------------------------------

Naraku remained there, appearing not to move an inch of a muscle. Inuyasha was now five times as tense than before, a fit feeling of rage he could never shake whenever he laid eyes on Naraku's disgusting appearance. At any rate, he was ready to make his first move as soon as Naraku moved... but that was a situation that never seemed to come to light anytime soon.

"As you know, I have been in dire search for the last few remaining shards of the jewel, and need I remind you that in my hand lies the jewel almost completely reassembled." Naraku held up the jewel for Inuyasha and the others to see. "And thanks to Kikyo, the one and only woman your heart is so dedicated to, I now possess the jewel for own personal purposes. Inuyasha, you do have the right to feel betrayed by whom you thought was loyal to... but clearly as the facts point to the truth, Kikyo's intention was only to fuel my hunger for ultimate power."

"Shut up! We already know you have the jewel, idiot. And don't you dare ever speak of Kikyo like that! What makes you think she would actually want to help the likes of you? You might as well stop peddling your nonsensical lies, because anything you say from now on, we refuse to believe..." Inuyasha said, his eyes twitching. His mind couldn't help but wander when he heard Kikyo's name mentioned. 

"_My heart doesn't want to believe it, but my mind keeps repeating it over and over... it drives me crazy! It... it can't be true. Kikyo told me not too long ago that she only gave Naraku the jewel in her planned attempt to eliminate him once and for all... but Naraku refuses to understand that. Unless..._" Inuyasha's thoughts faded away as he brought himself back to reality.

"Do not count on getting any of the other shards, Naraku. For you forget, we still have a considerable amount of our own. You know deep down you're too cowardly to straight out take them from our hands without facing heavy resistance, so you resort to trickery and traps in order to get lucky." Miroku said, his left hand slowly reaching for the beads that blocked off his Wind Tunnel, which was contained underneath the fabric of his sleeve. "_I know I would be taking a risk... but at the same time he holds the jewel in his hands... Damn it..._" Miroku thought, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his head.

"Oh, not to worry, monk. In due time I shall gain what I need. Even if it means a direct or indirect means of taking the shards from the lot of you. But of course, I will only be able to take the task of removing those shards after you are all dead." Naraku said, his calm voice never wavering.

"You hellish monster!!!" Sango yelled, grabbing her Hiraikotsu from her back, reading to throw it. Inuyasha and Miroku also readied their weapons, mentally trying to decide if they should attack or wait Naraku to move first.

"Go on ahead, Naraku. The very first step you take will be your last, because I'd have already sliced your head off." Inuyasha beckoned.

"Hmph. It clearly shows that you are ready to do battle, but are you certain that you would want to kill me before I could even reveal what I've done to your young female friend?" Naraku asked. 

Inuyasha's eyebrows raised. "What? You mean... Kagome? What are you talking about?! What have you done to her??" Inuyasha said with anger. Right there and then, Kagome could be seen limping a little onto the scene from behind, with Shippo at her side.

Miroku sensed her and turned around, surprised to see her. "Inuyasha! Kagome is here, along with Shippo!"

Kagome held onto her bow, her quiver of arrows slung onto her back. Inuyasha spun around in disbelief, wondering why Kagome was here. "Damn that doctor! I clearly told his ass to keep Kagome in the hut! Why the hell is she here? Damn it, Shippo! Why did you let her out?" Inuyasha cursed.

Sango ran ahead and helped Kagome, putting the girl's arm around her back. "Shippo! You knew Kagome was still hurt! Why didn't you stop her from leaving the hut?" Sango asked him in a rush.

"Ohhh, I'm sorry, you guys!!! But I had no choice! Kagome was far too willing to come out here to help you guys!" Shippo explained.

"No... don't blame Shippo. It wasn't his fault. I wanted to... Nnnghh... come here on my own..." Kagome groaned, nearly keeling over. Sango caught her from falling.

"We understand, but you shouldn't be on your feet. You're still in too much of a bad condition to do anything. You're using up energy just trying to talk alone." Sango said.

"Nnnghhh.... don't worry about me, Sango. I'll... I'll be alright. F... Fighting Naraku... is the utmost of importance here... not me." Kagome said, letting go of Sango's hold and rebalancing herself on her own. She stared ahead at Inuyasha forlornly, and Inuyasha exchanged glances with her, his eyes filled with anger, but at the same time happiness at the sight of seeing her. 

"_Kagome... even while sick, you still somehow had the strength to come all the way out here... just to help us fight. You weren't even concerned about your own well being, but for us... Goddamn it, this is why I have to protect you... because if you put out so much strength protecting others... then who, in the end, is going to protect you?_" Inuyasha thought. Naraku laughed at the scene, bringing Inuyasha's full attention back.

"Ha ha ha ha ha..... Oh, how touching it is to see the young girl battle against her own ailments in order to arrive here upon her own accord to help her friends... and to also see them suffer at the hands of such a demon of my own caliber. Logic plays its part here." Naraku said mockingly.

"Hey, shut the hell up! No one asked for any of your bullshit input!" Inuyasha shot back.

"Hmm... instead of expressing so much bouts of hate, Inuyasha... you should concentrate on focusing your energies toward yourself for letting your dear friend getting hurt by something you could have easily prevented... am I right?" Naraku was playing mind games at this point with his foes, because toying with his enemies was one of the many sick joys he found in his quest for power.

"What!? What are you saying?" Inuyasha asked.

"You heard me. Using my own evil demonic energy I had created a deadly poisonous seed, which I had implanted in the mouth of the mother spider demon far before you and your troupe had came to this village. It was a fairly easy thing to do, after learning that you and your friends were headed in the direction of this place, and knowing that you bound to eradicate the spider demons, the chances of my plan working were vastly self assured. You would have thought that for insects causing trouble amongst the people, the first thing that entered your little minds was the presented opportunity of finding any jewel shards in the cave. You thought correctly, hence empowering the mother spider with six shards of my own - which was more than enough to carry out my misdeed." Naraku revealed.

"A poisonous seed?" Miroku said in a low voice.

"That seed Naraku claims to have created must have been the explanation for Kagome's injury, and that it was responsible for poisoning her." Inuyasha said.

"Of course! The purple discoloration that the doctor had mentioned earlier. Hmph, it makes sense now." Miroku said. Inuyasha ground his teeth and shook his head out of impending frustration.

"Damn you, Naraku!!!" Inuyasha said, raising his fist in the air.

"Heh heh heh... yes... It was I who has made it so that the girl would be poisoned by the mother spider. I personally knew that once that it was slayed, my own corrupt will inside the shard in its head made it target the girl in order to implant the shard inside her once she was wounded. The mystified power of my own superior manipulation has its beneficial merits, you could say.

Kagome gasped upon hearing everything Naraku said, her body shaking. "S... so this is all true! That was the... sole reason why the... spider's head attacked me..." Kagome breathed. "_It was the jewel shard inside its head that still kept it alive even after I destroyed its body with a sacred arrow. The poison seed was transferred into me when it had bit down onto my side... and now..._" Kagome thought, looking down at the torn part of her outfit. She briefly caught a glimpse of the purple region of her side before she started to feel a little weak. "Uhhhhhh...." Kagome started to collapse, but then Sango caught her again.

"Kagome..." Sango said, upset at seeing her friend struggling to bear so much pain.

"But wait! There's a chance we could still save Kagome! I mean, can't we just simply remove the seed from within her? Its not too late, is it?" Shippo suggested, the idea hitting him.

"Hm? Hey, Shippo, you have a point..." Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

"Heh, try as you might. But such a stupid action would result in the instant death of her. The seed would magically grow into a blood sucking carnivorous plant, feasting on her internal organs while at the same time devouring every last bit of her life essence and very soul. If you would be smart you'd advise against it." Naraku said.

"Shit... Grrrrrrr!!!" Inuyasha was too upset for words, trying to control his own rage. But he wasn't the only one, as he could easily tell Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara were all ready to join in on a grand battle the moment Naraku moved.

"While the seed has had its time of dormancy only for a little while, it is now in the process of slowly spreading its secreted poison throughout the girl's body, until she is too numb to move an inch. The overdose of poison will surely grant her a slow and painful death, as her brain will stop functioning but yet she can still feel the stinging pain internally. And all you can do Inuyasha, is helplessly watch her die before your very eyes, the sheer amount of guilt riding on your shoulders for as long as you live." Naraku said.

Inuyasha's eyes were wide with shock, as he turned to Kagome. Kagome couldn't believe this was happening, and she wished it just a bad dream ready to disappear if she pinched herself so she could wake up. But she couldn't fight the fact that this was reality, and everything felt real - to what she heard, what she felt, what she wanted... her life had seemed like one confusing mess to her, as she could no longer think straight. Her eyes fluttered closed... but she still could see that same image of the young man she cared for... she kept seeing Inuyasha standing there, his white hair flowing freely in the breeze, his yellow eyes flashing with an innocent but prideful demeanor. She almost felt free when he turned around to smile at her... extending his hand out to hers...

"Inuya...sha...." Kagome then briefly lost conscious, falling back into Sango's arms, just before a shooting pain racked through her stomach. Sango and Shippo kept calling out her name, but she didn't open her eyes to respond. Upon seeing this, something inside Inuyasha had snapped.

He couldn't tell what it was, but felt like the demon blood flowing through his veins brought out a brand new level of rage inside him... like a firecracker ready to explode if it wasn't extinguished. But this was one firecracker that need not to be put out - for it was about to crackle directly in the heart of its most hated, evil foe. Naraku himself. An energy line coursed through Inuyasha's head, and he gritted his teeth. He lifted up the Tetsusaiga letting out an excited yell, his body becoming encircled in a bluish like energy field.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled. Naraku appeared to be unfazed by the half demon's increase of strength.

"Yes, that is it. Let your anger fuel your hatred towards me. But it will never change the fact that you failed to save the girl. No matter how many times you try to convince yourself, you can never ignore the truth. Placing the blame upon yourself would only ease the conscious by little." Naraku said.

Even though she seemed to be unconscious, somehow Kagome was able to respond to Naraku in a voice under a dream like state. "_You... don't even DARE place false... accusations on Inuyasha... it was NEVER his fault to begin with... only YOU are but to blame for... what you've done... you... demonic creep..._"Kagome suddenly stopped, her voice fading.

Inuyasha took a few steps forward, keeping his Tetsusaiga pointed at Naraku. But before he could speak, Miroku stepped up in front of Inuyasha. "Enough is enough!!! Everyone! Stand back!" Miroku reached for the beads on his sleeve. "Naraku, even though may have the majority of the Shikon jewel, nothing is worth it for all the damage you've done to us all. You are going to die right here and now!" Miroku said.

"Oh, I beg to differ monk..." Naraku replied.

Before Miroku could pull back the beads and unleash the Wind Tunnel from his right hand, everyone looked up to see a swarm of the Saimyoushou poison insects arrive onto the scene, surrounding Naraku as if they were forming a protective barrier around him. "Tch!!! Curses!" Miroku said to himself, lowering his hand.

"It would be best not to be so hasty in making such a mistake. Of course, who would I be not to come prepared with the proper defenses." Naraku said.

"Blast it. If it wasn't for those damned insects he would have been finished." Miroku said. Inuyasha then took the reigns of the situation and held out his hand, motioning for Miroku and the others to move away.

"Miroku's Wind Tunnel can't be used because of those insects and I don't want Sango to take a chance and leave Kagome vulnerable in case Naraku has something dirty up his sleeve, so everyone just hang back and let me take care of this. And please... watch over Kagome and make sure she doesn't get harmed in any of this." Inuyasha pleaded.

"Alright... Understood..." Miroku nodded, and he and the others backed up, helping Kagome along the way. Kirara stayed beside Inuyasha, and ran at full speed toward Naraku. Inuyasha hopped onto Kirara's back, ready to do battle.

"Grrrryaaaaahh!!!" Kirara roared, and Inuyasha leapt right off her back and plummeted down towards Naraku. "Hyaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled about to take a slash. But Naraku was still stationary, forming some sort of transparent energy barrier around his body, which sent out large tendrils of electrical energy upon contact. Inuyasha was zapped with a big jolt of electricity, and was sent sprawling onto his back. However, the dog demon's rage kept him going strong, and Inuyasha had gotten right back onto his feet and dashed back at Naraku.

Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga, where the blade slammed right into the energy barrier, causing thousands of sparks to fly out in all sorts of directions. Inuyasha pressed deeper, exerting more energy into the sword and not giving up until he broke through the shield.

Naraku shook his head. "And after all of this time, is that all the strength you can conjure up? I am far from shaken. I expected a greater show of power...." 

"What!?" Inuyasha said, and Naraku expanded the barrier into one big ball of electricity, blowing away both Inuyasha and Kirara away in one violent explosion. They hit the ground hard, a few burn marks on their bodies.

"INUYASHA!!! KIRARA!!!" Sango called out.

"Are you alright???" Miroku asked.

"Get up, Inuyasha!!! Don't let that Naraku win!!!" Shippo yelled.

Inuyasha dug his sword into the ground and pulled himself up, looking over to Kirara, who was a little shaky, but okay. "Nnnnghhh... we're fine..." Inuyasha called back. He let out an annoyed sigh, his eyes fixated on Naraku.

"_I was hoping I could have just finished him off with that first attack, but Naraku is getting much stronger in terms of repelling any type of normal attack from the Tetsusaiga... so that leaves me with no choice. If I want to end this battle as fast as it started, then I'll have to use the Wind Scar._" Inuyasha thought, back onto his feet.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, focusing all of his mental power. Out of nowhere, he could see two gigantic winds forming around both himself and Naraku. "_When the two winds between myself and my opponent collides, the middle point of the winds form a fissure where I must swing the Tetsusaiga in order to release its full power._" Inuyasha stood still, sensing Naraku's side of the wind, seeing the collision point as a vertical ray of light in front of him.

"_There's the fissure! Here's goes nothing!!!!! Kyaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!_" Inuyasha quickly swung the Tetsusaiga, slashing the fissure and creating five powerful streaks of hot white energy which drove deep into the ground, making its way toward Naraku. However, Naraku countered by forming another energy shield, even twice as strong than the first, automatically negating the Wind Scar attack. Inuyasha nearly dropped his sword in reaction to what just happened.

"_WHAT!? But how in the world could he have cancelled out all of that power all at once!?!?_" Inuyasha thought, completely baffled. Miroku and the others looked on in desperation, unable to comprehend Naraku's sudden boost of strength.

"This is impossible! Ever since Naraku has holding the Shikon jewel, his strength has gotten much stronger over time! Even the Tetsusaiga's full power was not enough to break through the barrier!" Miroku commented, holding his hand over his face from the debris that the fierce winds blew at him and the others.

"Had this been an earlier confrontation with Naraku, then there would be no chance that he could have withstood the Wind Scar attack at all." Shippo added.

"Its all because of him having the jewel is to blame for all of this... and I feel so powerless for the fact that we can never stand a favorable chance against him no matter what the circumstances are." Sango said, supporting Kagome on her side.

Naraku laughed as the barrier protecting him had started to grow even bigger, pushing Inuyasha and everyone else back from the blinding winds alone. "Ha ha ha! You are all fools to make a foolish bravado in order to defy me." Naraku then released the barrier, the energy driving into the ground beneath him to form a powerful electrical shockwave, which barreled at his enemies with an amazing bout of sheer unparalleled force, blasting Inuyasha and everyone away into a massive explosion. Dirt and debris covered the area in a smoking heap of dust, masking the painful screams of the young warriors.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed, crashing through the walls of some houses and creating a deep trench along the ground, his robes torn and ripped apart.

"Ayaahhhhhhhh!!!!!" Miroku and Kirara were knocked sky high into the air and the both of them slammed into a pile of stones. Kirara's weakened state caused her to transform back into her smaller form, her little legs twitching helplessly. Miroku's right arm was twisted from the impact, blood seeping out from a gash through his ripped sleeve.

"INUYASHA!!!!!!!!" Kagome screamed, her eyes faintly opening and reaching out for him the moment he flew past her sight, but could say no more as she, Sango and Shippo were also caught up in the explosive blast. Their bloodied bodies flew directly into a parked carriage, with Sango hitting her head hard, nearly having a concussion. She was able to keep Kagome from not taking too much damage, however, as she held her close just before they landed.

Shippo landed hard on his back, also unable to get up. Some blood tricked down from the corner of his mouth. The villagers that were witnessing this event had all taken cover inside their hopes, stricken with the grandest of fear of Naraku.

Inuyasha had taken the most firsthand of the blast, coughing up blood continuously. The Tetsusaiga he held in his hand had dropped to the ground, returning back into its original old and brittle form.

"Nnnnghhh..... *cough* Na... raku..... *cough*" Inuyasha slowly raised his hand, desperate to pick his sword up. He didn't want Naraku to escape again, not after coming all this way to finally end everything. Inuyasha himself sought nothing more than to slay Naraku by his own blade and to obtain the Shikon jewel so he could become a full fledged demon.

But Naraku constantly kept escaping like the silhouette of a shadow just when the midst of a final battle presented itself. It was a constant cycle that Inuyasha was getting sick and tired of, and he knew his friends shared the same ideology. But no matter how much Inuyasha mentally wanted to continue on fighting, his willpower was far too weakened by the last blow Naraku delivered.

With the Tetsusaiga just inches out of his reach, Inuyasha gave in to his lowered fatigue, his hand softly lowering to the moist soil. A wide wave of dust billowed upon the fallen heroes, marking their fast defeat at the hands of Naraku.

"Ha ha ha... another short victory. This is a scene that I could only wish to see much more often. The feeling of triumph and the looks of suffering on your pitiful faces. I could watch this endlessly without a touch of boredom. But soon there _will_ come a time where I will be eventually forced to kill you all when the perfect chance presents itself." said Naraku, his last words most likely falling on the deaf ears on his enemies.

Whether they heard it or not, he could have cared less. Naraku simply turned around and disappeared into the midst of the purple wind that whisked his white baboon fur away into the depths of the sky, leaving nothing but a dead silence upon the crop fields.

The skies had not even reverted back their normal morning blue color, but to a heavy cloudy climate that gave way to a light drizzle of rain. The falling water drops splashed down onto Inuyasha's face and washing off some of the blood, as he stared right back into the bleak gray skies. A crackle of lightning could be heard far away in the distance, and at that moment, a few of the villagers came out of their homes, surveying what had happened.

"H... has the demon gone, mommy?" a little girl asked her mother

"Yes... but the ones that were protecting us have fallen. That strange demon had taken them all down." the girl's mother replied, holding her daughter close to her side.

"Those guys need our help! Look at them! None of them look like they can even get up. None of them can, especially after getting hit by what seemed like a really brutal tremor." a middle aged man pointed out, walking towards the defeated Inuyasha.

"Hey, come and help me out here! Are all of you just gonna stand there like scaredy cats?" the man asked the other locals, as he helped Inuyasha up on one arm.

The other villagers reluctantly remained stationary, unsure of what to do. "Well? Why not? He's got a point. They saved us twice, and we can't just leave any of them here. That would just be plain selfish." a younger man said, walking over and lifting up Miroku. Soon enough, everyone nodded in agreement and joined in, and soon the small group of locals were carrying Inuyasha and his friends back to the doctor's house.

As Inuyasha was being assisted along by a woman and a young teenage boy, the only thing he could think about was killing Naraku. Inuyasha was furious with himself at this point, as Kagome showing a warm smile flashed through his mind.

"_Kagome... I... I'm so sorry. Please forgive me... forgive me for not being able to protect you again. To make matters worse, Naraku escaped again, after we had him cornered. After all that we've done, I still can't beat him in a fair fight. But what angers me is the most is, he intentionally aimed to hurt you when we all had our guard down._" Inuyasha thought, the doctor's house coming into view. "_Kagome... I... don't want to lose you. Please don't die..._"

Inuyasha had never felt so powerless in his entire life. The one girl whom he's come to terms in falling in love with, even though he wouldn't admit it, is now being threatened to be taken away from him by the harbinger of death itself. Because of Naraku's insidious planning, Kagome was implanted with a demon seed that will very well take her life, and there not a single thing he could do to remove it.

"_Kagome... I heard her words. She knows its not my fault but... what if in reality it is? What if I'm just ignoring the facts? Is it all just to ease my mind? No... I vowed to protect her always. And I'm not going to give up. Not until... Naraku is slayed. And I'll draw out every single last remnant of energy from my Tetsusaiga to do it!_"

Inuyasha's heart and soul burned with determination. However, his eyes were stung with the need to shed tears for the feeling of the inevitable. Kagome might die and be gone forever. But the only thing that kept Inuyasha from shedding his tears of sorrow, was for the fact that all of his energy was lost. Just as lost as the impossible chance of saving his loved one.

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The End of Chapter 4.


	5. Shards of Stricken Sorrow

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 5: Shards of Stricken Sorrow

It was nightfall at the tiny village where its inhabitants were furiously working hard to replenish the crops that were damaged hours ago from Naraku's previous arrival. Deep holes of dirt and soil were all lined up like craters on a distant planet in outer space, with rocks and debris also merging in with the scene to form a collage of destruction and recreation. Although the only food they put so much dedication to growing was destroyed, what fate could never take away from the villagers was their determination and will to survive on their own. If it was one thing they all knew after today, fate was grateful to them, as they were saved three times in succession by a threatening force none of the likes of their human ability could ever face fairly.

Inside the doctor's hut, a weakened Kagome Higurashi was lying down on a flat bed with a damp warm washcloth on her forehead. Her face was flushed a bright red from the never ending fever she contracted from the poisoning, and her breathing was nothing more than short and fast gasps of air as usual. 

Shippo was sitting right next to her in an uneasy tone, his little bandaged legs tucked together. He also had some bandages around his head, tied tightly with a shade of red beneath the fabric. He nervously rolled a spinning top between his fingers, his eyes flat from the constant worrying of his friend. He drew out a long sigh, shaking his head.

"Poor Kagome... I wouldn't wish the worst on her for anything in this world. I can't help but worry about her ever since we got here. I still can't believe that there's absolutely nothing we can do to get rid of the poison seed inside her. It scares me to death knowing that... she won't make it through any of this." Shippo said in a low voice, his eyes becoming watery.

In an instant, tears rolled down his light colored cheeks, flowing as freely as the crashing waves of a waterfall. The old doctor was nearby preparing some hot soup in a heated pot on a table. He came up from behind Shippo and put a hand on the little fox boy's shoulder, patting it in comfort.

"I understand how you feel, Shippo. But please try not to worry. Although I do understand the situation, I have a feeling that somehow we will find a way to save Kagome. In terms of speaking medically, I find it amazing how she hasn't lost complete consciousness despite the initial increased poison flow in her now sealed up wound. The extremity of the poison might as very well knocked any other person out. But as for Kagome, something is keeping her from falling victim it to sooner than later. Even I can't seem to explain it." the doctor said thoughtfully.

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"I can. I can take a guess that since Kagome is the reincarnation of Kikyo, somehow the holy energy inside her body must be reacting as in some sort of defense against the poison. Had it been any other human, they wouldn't even be alive right now. While Kagome's energy is trying to protect her, it could only do but so much for the next five days. And unfortunately, that's all the time she has left." Shippo thought.

"So, where have your other friends run off to?" the doctor asked, breaking Shippo's thoughts. Shippo looked up at him. 

"Oh, Miroku and Sango said they were going to go collect some water and firewood for us. But I don't know where Inuyasha is. He didn't say anything the last time I saw him." Shippo replied.

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Outside in the middle of the village, Miroku found himself surrounded by a small crowd of young beautiful women, all squealing with delight and excitement. Sango was sitting on the edge of a well nearby, her jaws clenching at the sight of the adamant monk making his usual immodest passes.

"Oooh!!! Is it really true that you're a monk? Can you really exorcise an entire town all at once with just one spell?" a girl asked, tugging at Miroku's sleeve.

"Of course he can! Didn't you see how brave he acted when that big ugly fire demon showed up? He blasted through its stomach and seemed so calm and fierce when he did it! He's sooooo manly!" another girl on Miroku's opposite side shot back. Miroku's face was a big shade of red as he blushed from the barrage of praise and interest from these attractive females.

"Heh heh heh!!! Well, ladies, it was merely an effortless deed for a common monk of my stature and fortitude. While I appreciate your compliments, need I remind you that without my assistance, my party of associates would surely have lost to the gigantic demon." Miroku said, still flushed from trying to make a decision on which girl he should make his ultimate move on.

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"Hmm. The black haired one appears to have a pleasantly plump rear end... and yet, the tall lady to the left sports some very luscious thighs..." Miroku thought, his eyes shining like gold.

Sango clenched her fist, a vein in her forehead pulsing. Kirara was on her lap, brushing her little head against her stomach. A bucket filled with water was at Sango's side, having been sitting there for the past twenty minutes.

"Grrr!!! Who does he think is he is, overly flirting like that? Those girls are only going to build up his already piggish ego..." Sango commented, groaning out of annoyance.

The girls then drew their attention to Miroku's left arm, which was bandaged into a cast along his shoulder. "Aww, you risked getting hurt to save the life of your friends, too! That is so manly of you!" another girl said.

"And he's not even fazed by his injuries either! Its like it doesn't bother him at all! Miroku, you are totally the hottest and bravest guy I've EVER met!" a girl chirped happily.

"Ladies, ladies! As I've said before, it's barely a hindrance to my fighting skills. Even though fighting with my staff will be a little less effective, my arm should be better in a day at the very least." Miroku lied.

The girls continued to rant and rave even more by his fake display of awesome strength. Miroku felt his entire body start to tremble, his hormones cascading in an uncontrollable wave of pressure.

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"This it!!! Now is my chance to make my prominence known amongst many a female in my ongoing search to continue my legacy! I can't believe this is happening!" Miroku thought. Then, with all of his courage, he directly all of his built up energy into one shocking proposal. Miroku cleared his throat before speaking.

"Well, I do see you ladies are quite fascinated with my portrayal of demon slaying. On a side note, which you all could consider a commitment, no less... would any of you young girls consider to be blessed with the miracle by bearing my child? Think of it as a contribution to the good of the world so that I, a common monk, can wholeheartedly pass down my vast knowledge of exorcism and spell casting to a future generation." Miroku announced, trying to contain every ounce of sexual excitement brewing inside him.

At this point, Sango was thoroughly pissed off, raising her clenched fist. _"Yeah, to a future generation of perverted Miroku Juniors!!!"_ Sango thought, her eyes lit with flames.

"Oooh, I don't know if I'm ready for such an act." a girl said disappointedly. "Gee, I don't think we're even of proper age to be pregnant... don't you have be to be an old maid before you get married and have kids?" another girl asked.

"Yeah, and won't something like that be painful?" the girl holding Miroku's sleeve wondered. A sweat drop rolled down Miroku's head. He wasn't expecting this kind of reaction to so many eager looking females. He waved his free hand out of reassurance.

"Ladies, relax, please! Don't be afraid, as I have sufficiently enough of the required substance to provide the properties of child bearing. Why, you could even say I have more than enough for two, three, or maybe even four children, if you so request. And I assure, there will be no pain involved... (well, only for the first few minutes upon penetration...)" Miroku said, tacking on the last line in a voice under his breath.

"Grrrrrrrrr!!!!" Sango's anger was now way past the maximum level, as she stomped her foot hard on the grass. Kirara sensed her body heat flaring, and promptly hopped off of her lap as she got up and stomped towards Miroku. She grabbed his ear, pinching it hard and nearly sending Miroku tumbling to the ground.

"Owwwwww!!! Sango!!! I----Ackkk!" Miroku choked out. Sango leaned towards his face, her eyebrows twitching.

"Well, what do you know? After all of that spider exterminating, and for someone who's suffered SO much injuries during a battle with a really powerful demon, you sure seemed to have bounced back in time rather quickly! Just in time to make babies and run off!" Sango accused loudly, a small surge of disgust and jealousy shooting through her.

"No, Sango! You don't understand! I was merely conversing with the women to show how----- OWWWWW! HEY!!! AHHHHH!!! HELPPPPPPP!!!!" Miroku shouted, while being tackled by Sango. Sango repeatedly bashed Miroku upside the head with her Hiraikotsu without the slightly mercy, and the crowd of girls looked on bewildered.

"Wow, maybe he's not as tough as we thought." a girl commented.

"Nah, maybe she's his ex-girlfriend or wife, and she's just really jealous, so she follows him around on his adventures." a girl explained.

"I have to admit, I sort of feel sorry for him. No wonder he's itching to get away from a hostile girl like that." another girl said, laughing.

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About a mile away from the village, Inuyasha was peacefully sitting on a small upraised ridge near the edge of a lake. The half demon's right leg dangled over the edge, swinging back and forth aimlessly. Too mentally upset to think, Inuyasha decided to lay onto his back, dropping the sheathed Tetsusaiga to his side onto the soft green grass. He stared up into the stars of the night sky past the large surrounding oak tree nearby, the leaves shaking from the gentle breeze that swept over him. His point of view concentrated on one specific star that seemed to pulsate like a beating heart, his imagination lost in its beautiful twinkle. It was then that Inuyasha's thoughts began to wander.

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"Damn. No matter how much I try to relax, no matter what the heck I do, I still can't seem to get it out of my head. All I can think about is poor Kagome suffering from that blasted poison seed that the spider demon infected her with." Inuyasha thought, raising his arms to fold them behind his head.

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"Kagome... she knew it wasn't my fault. She even said so. But why... why can't I shake this feeling that I failed to ensure her safety this time? It wasn't as if I've never neglected her before... and to think in the seemingly short amount of time I've known her... who in the world would have thought that I would develop... feelings for her. The same deep feelings that I share for Kikyo, I share for Kagome. I know that even though they're two completely different people, there's something about them where they seem to share the same point of interest. But personally, I can't begin to figure out what those points are." Inuyasha's mind briefly wandered back to the time he had first met Kagome under the 1,000 year old Sacred Tree. He remembered it like it was almost yesterday, the first real live human being he has seen after his fifty year slumber.

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"The Sacred Tree... Where I was bound by Kikyo 50 years ago. And after all of that time, that was when I suddenly woke up..."

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"Hey, Kikyo! Weird looking get up you got there! I don't know what the hell you call yourself doing, but why don't you just let me loose from here already!" Inuyasha barked to the young black haired girl on her knees in front of him, baffled by the scared look she was giving him. He didn't know why Kikyo was acting so strangely, or why was she wearing those foreign looking green and white clothes to begin with. But if it was one thing, he was very agitated after such a long sleep and he wanted to be set free this instant.

"What? Hey! Just who do you think you are to speak to me like that? And who are you calling Kikyo!?" the girl shot back. But they had no time for banter, as eventually she was forced to break the sacred arrow that was pinned to Inuyasha's chest, thanks to the stalking of a scary looking demon called Miss Centipede.

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"Kagome had freed me from the tree, even after Kaede and the villagers couldn't help her very much from Miss Centipede trying to take the Shikon Jewel inside of Kagome. At the time, I swear she looked exactly like Kikyo. She had the same hair, the same looks, even the same aura. But little did I know I was in for a shock when she revealed to me she wasn't the woman I loved so long ago."

Inuyasha then thought of the time that Kagome was bathing in the cold depths at the base of a waterfall, with Kaede nearby. Inuyasha at the time had briefly caught a glimpse of her naked, which he didn't intentionally mean to do. But in either case, he was returned with a dreaded "Sit!", having his face slammed into the rocky ground.

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"Heh, that really hurt that time! Just thank god she doesn't do that as often as she used to when we first met... But what really got me that time was when..."

Inuyasha found himself staring at Kagome shortly after she came out of the waterfall bank. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes off of her for the fact that she was donned in a white top and a red hakama that was he was all too familiar with. She even had the audacity to tie her hair back in a ponytail.

"Now what is it? What's with all the staring?" Kagome asked, holding a folded towel between her hands, her appearance glowing. Inuyasha barely said anything, instead letting out a forced grunt.

"I didn't ask you to talk... is just that the clothes you're wearing is bothering me." Inuyasha admitted, folding his arms.

"Why? Because I look like Kikyo!?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha remained silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"No! Look, would you just stop talking? Take off your clothes." Inuyasha instructed.

Kagome's face immediately turned red from his lewd response. "WHAT!?! SIT, BOY!!!" she yelled, and down went Inuyasha, as the rosary around his neck shone with a mystical power and sent him slamming into the ground.

"Ackkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!" Inuyasha groaned.

Recovering from the pain, Inuyasha glared back up at Kagome. "No, stupid!!! I didn't mean for you to get naked! I meant to switch into something else! What, are you that stupid to misinterpret every freaking thing I say?" Inuyasha complained.

Kagome narrowed her eyes, turning around and walking away from the dog demon, extremely upset. "If you had any sort of respect for me, you'd know I'd have a name. And its not stupid, its Kagome! Not Kikyo, KA-GO-ME! For a half demon you sure have a hard time speaking proper Japanese." Kagome said.

"Wait! Hold on! I said, wait up, stupid!" Inuyasha clambered to his knees, chasing after Kagome.

"SIT!!!!!!!!!!!!" she yelled, sending Inuyasha crashing to the ground again. 

"ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed, frustrated.

"Tell me, why on earth should I EVER have a reason to talk to him ever again?" Kagome said to herself, walking back to the village.

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Inuyasha's thoughts raced from one scenario to another, reminiscing upon the happy times to the various arguements they've had over the course of time. But there was one thought in the back of his head that was beginning to drive him mad. He clearly kept hearing Naraku's accusing words repeat over and over in his mind like a broken record.

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"Yes, that is it. Let your anger fuel your hatred towards me. But it will never change the fact that you failed to save the girl. No matter how many times you try to convince yourself, you can never ignore the truth. Placing the blame upon yourself would only ease the conscious by little." Naraku sounded as if he had such pleasure in seeing Inuyasha and his friends all in a rage. That kind of sick pleasure that Inuyasha hated to see, that twisted smile on Naraku's face which made his demon blood boil to a burning temperature.

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"Naraku... Soon, one day... I'll make sure you won't be laughing anymore..." Inuyasha thought, no longer unable to contain his anger. He slowly rose up, his eyes darkened in shadow beneath the front of his white hair. He grabbed the Tetsusaiga and unsheathed it in one shift motion, transforming into its long fang blade. He became surrounded by a very powerful wind, the Tetsusaiga forming a faint glint of energy around the blade. He let out a ear splitting roar of rage, the wind around him blowing even further out into the open.

"NARAKU!!!!!!!!! KYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed, spinning around and swinging his Tetsusaiga, sending out a powerful tremor along the ground accompanied by a thin ray of energy. The energy decimated an entire field of trees in front of him, causing them all to topple over a bright flash of light. The physics of nature itself could never comprehend what Inuyasha had felt, setting free several crows into the air, their nests destroyed by the sword's attack. They squawked as they disappeared from the view of the glaring moon.

"He'll pay for what he's done! He'll pay for it all! No one will ever hurt Kagome and get away with it. I'll hunt Naraku down to the ends of this planet if I have to!" Inuyasha said, lowering the Tetsusaiga to his side. He cocked his head upwards and screamed, letting all of his confusing emotions out of his body, exerting every last shred of decency he kept hidden inside him for so long since yesterday. Breaking out into tears, his shout of might exploded into an invisible wave of terror, disrupting the balance of the peace that created the forest that he was standing in. 

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, practically feeling his heart explode. After what seemed like an agonizing five minutes, he tumbled to his knees, his tears still flowing freely down his shiny face like a rolling river. Inuyasha knew that deep down inside, the only time he could ever express what he was exactly feeling was whenever he was alone.

For some reason, even though he had the best of friends to be at his side during his travels, there was something that always prevented him from opening up the imaginary bottle that contained his emotions. He always trusted Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, and he knew that they would never hold anything against him no matter what the circumstance. So why would he choose to be so secretive? Especially around Kagome? That was a question even Inuyasha _himself_ could not answer.

Not having the patience to confront his own demons, Inuyasha instead opted to calm himself down. He sat back down, sheathing the Tetsusaiga. His eyes traveled back to the full moon above again. There was always something about the moon's rays he cherished, because he always brought him some sort of serenity whenever he was too tense to deal with a problem he was forced to face. For a few moments, his body felt at ease, and his tears stopped. He pictured Kagome's face appearing just before the moon, smiling and laughing.

"Kagome... I know if you saw me right now, you wouldn't want me to be so down like this. You defended me when all seemed to be lost, and with your injuries, you still wanted to help me fight Naraku. That flair you have on the inside can never compare to any other. That's the reason why I can never bear the thought of losing you. And I swear, no matter what Naraku says, I'll make it my task to find a way to rid your body of that poison seed. You can count on it." Inuyasha whispered.

In the distance, some fireflies burned their little oranges lights to illuminate the grass, and the baby birds in the trees sung their heavenly song. Inuyasha closed his eyes, hearing the quiet running of the glistening crystal lake in back of him.

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About roughly an hour and a half later, Inuyasha had arrived back at the village. He saw Miroku, Sango, and Kirara returning from assisting in burying some of the locals who had died from when the fire demon attacked earlier that day. He approached them, still stricken with grief.

"Inuyasha! Is everything okay? We noticed that you had left and we hadn't seen you for awhile." Miroku greeted, knowing that Inuyasha was most likely taking the time off somewhere to gather his thoughts.

"We had to gather some supplies for the doctor, and we also had gotten caught up in preparing some burials for the dead villagers. We were worried about you." Sango said.

"Thanks, guys. But I'm okay. There's no need to worry. I just went for a little walk, thinking about a couple of things. But what I'm really concerned about is Kagome. I was thinking that maybe we should head back to the doctor's hut to check up on her." Inuyasha said in a nearly flat toned voice. It was easy for Miroku and Sango to read Inuyasha's thoughts because he made it too obvious, even though the half demon was never aware of it.

"Agreed. Hopefully, things will have had a positive spin this time around." Miroku said, leading the way back to the hut.

A few minutes later, they had came back inside the doctor's home. Upon brushing through the curtain, they were met with a very tense looking quack, and that had immediately set an uneasiness through Inuyasha and the others.

"Doctor? Has something happened? What is of Kagome's current condition?" Miroku asked.

"Please don't tell me its anything serious, old man!" Inuyasha said, his jaws tight with fright. The doctor shook his head, motioning to Kagome on the flat bed. Shippo was nearby, his arms crossed. The young fox boy was too upset to say anything.

"I'm afraid its taken its toll for the worse, my friends." the doctor replied, putting a hand on Kagome's forehead. "She hasn't spoken a word ever since you had brought her in her after that horrible demon had left, and her temperature has shot up considerably to a point where it feels as if she's burning up." the doctor said.

"Her eyes are also dilated, and breathing is still shallow as ever. At first we were hopeful that she'd be able to fight against it, but now things really don't seem to be improving. Kagome can never seem to afford to speak, as if trying to pains her so much..." Shippo added. He sighed, trying to fight back another wave of tears. He wanted to brave through this situation like Inuyasha was, although he also knew that Inuyasha eventually couldn't hold it all in like everyone else.

"That's correct, too. But despite the delayed reaction, the poison is slowly but surely spreading. The purple area has increased across her stomach now. If had it been anyone else, their heart would have been paralyzed by the poison by now." the doctor said, raising Kagome's shirt to show everyone what he meant.

During this whole time, he was unable to directly look at the shocked expressions of Inuyasha and the others. It was too much for the old man to bear. Never has he been involved in such a deep situation where he couldn't save his patient. He was far too afraid to break it to the others that any ideas to counter the poison was nonexistent, and that there absolutely nothing he could do to help Kagome.

"What are we supposed to do at this point? It scares me to even think about what may happen next." Sango said, staring down at the floor.

"I don't know, Sango. Although we can't give up. There must be some way to get rid of the poison in Kagome's body... but the question is, how?" Miroku said, frustrated.

Inuyasha took a step forward and bent down, taking Kagome's cold hand into his. He squeezed it gently, while using his other hand to brush back her bangs against her forehead. Inuyasha was almost compelled to kiss Kagome upon seeing her. At a distance while it may have seemed she was dreaming in such a deep peaceful sleep, up close she was suffering all over with no hopes of her being saved. Inuyasha's heart throbbed out of nervousness. He turned to the doctor, his voice all shaky.

"How... how long do we have until the poison seeps through her whole body?" Inuyasha reluctantly asked.

"According to my analysis... I... would have to say almost exactly five days. Five days total. No more, no less." the doctor responded. "This means that if somehow she cannot be saved... then on the fifth day she will surely die."

Kagome's body suddenly stirred, just happening to come back into consciousness to hear the doctor's last sentence. Her eyes opened, but she was too weak to open them all the way. She groaned, shivering all over. She was so scared beyond explanation to know that she was going to die like this. She knew that everyone that she was close to... her mother, Sota, her grandfather, Miroku, Sango, Shippo... and most of all, Inuyasha... would be all devastated if she was gone forever.

Kagome was more worried about her friends and loved ones having to live their lives without her around, which would make them extremely unhappy. Kagome didn't want that to happen... but there was no way to prevent what was going to happen to her. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't even move her eye muscles.

Inuyasha was upset all over again. He grabbed the doctor's collar. "Is it necessary to say such a stupid ass thing like that?! I don't care what, even through the worst of the worst, don't you EVER say anything like that again! You hear me, doc?" Inuyasha shunned the old man.

The doctor held Inuyasha's fist, looking the half demon straight in the eye. "You cannot deny the inevitable, Inuyasha. I understand how you feel, but for your own sake, don't misdirect your anger. It will only make things harder to accept for all of you." the doctor said. Inuyasha paused, slowly letting go of the old man's black robe. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of air.

"You're... you're right." Inuyasha agreed. "But... tell me. What the hell are we supposed to do now? Can you tell me that? I don't want to lose Kagome. Neither any of us want to." Inuyasha said, with Miroku and Sango behind him, looking off in their own directions. Even they themselves were struggling to stay strong and calm through this.

Shippo walked over and hugged Inuyasha's arm. "We know that, Inuyasha! You're not alone." Shippo said forlornly.

Inuyasha put a hand on Shippo's head. He sighed in defeat. _"I never even had a chance to tell her how I truly felt about her. Why does fate have to be so cruel to good people like us? Why take away the ones we love so dearly? I lost Kikyo before. Do I have to lose Kagome as well? All because of... Naraku."_ Inuyasha thought. The room was shrouded in silence for the next few minutes, with everyone's minds racing for a solution to this utterly impossible problem.

Inuyasha had finally broken the silence. He stood up, facing the doctor. "Doc, I've made up my mind on what to do. We're going to take Kagome and leave the village. We all know that we can't do anything for her here, and we have to find a way to stop the poison from spreading inside her. I'm not about to sit here and do nothing." Inuyasha said, a new ambition burning within him.

"What!? But are you sure about that?" the doctor said, surprised.

"I don't know, either. Do you really suppose we should do that, Inuyasha?" Sango asked. Inuyasha looked back at her, a serious expression on his face. 

"Yes, Sango, we have to. We can't take a chance now that Naraku knows where we exactly are. Its a possibility that he could try to catch us all off guard with some demon of his. Knowing him, he'd probably could any type of trick up his dirty sleeve regardless of his intention on poisoning Kagome. He'll never be satisfied, even it means gaining a messy victory." Inuyasha explained.

"He's right. Naraku may have wanted to get rid of Kagome this whole while, but nothing won't particularly stop him trying to get the rest of the jewel shards from us. He's bent on getting the shards no matter what the cost." Miroku agreed.

"Then I'm with you, guys then. Let's take Kagome along with us to a much safer place where Naraku won't be able to lay a hand on her! You ready, Kirara?" Shippo said. Kirara came up beside him, shaking her body.

The doctor sighed, unable to go against it. "I sure hope you all know what you're doing. You can take Kagome from my care if you request." the doctor said.

"Thank you, doctor. We might as well set out now before midnight breaks." Miroku said.

"Right. Let's get the hell out of this dump." Inuyasha said, as he and the monk bent down to lift Kagome from the bed.

Minutes later, Inuyasha and the others were leaving the village, with Sango supporting Kagome against her while riding on Kirara's back. Nearby however, in the shadows of the forest, a dark and slim figure was watching from behind a large tree, watching them very closely.

"Hmmm..... and there they go. As expected." the figure said in a low nonchalant voice.

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Later on that night, Inuyasha and his friends were all camped out in forest farther up north. It was shortly after midnight, and Kagome was inside a makeshift tent. Everyone else was outside, all crowded around in a circle. No one could sleep, for all they could think about was Kagome's sickness. Especially Inuyasha, who was not only worried about Kagome, but the effectiveness of his Tetsusaiga as well. He raised the sheathed sword and stared at it with worn bloodshot eyes.

"Hm? What's wrong, Inuyasha? You seem a little distracted." Miroku asked.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I just don't get it. Its about my new Tetsusaiga. Even after I managed to master wielding it from its tremendous weight, for some reason I think the overall performance when it came to battling Naraku back at the village was disgustingly pathetic. I mean, I barely put a scratch on the bastard. It may not have looked it at first, but that weird electric barrier he hit us with was pretty strong. But I should have been able to break right through it." Inuyasha commented.

"That is strange, now that you mention it. But you still have to remember the fact that Naraku has been doing some strange things as of late, such as absorbing more demons, creating extensions, and gathering more jewel shards. All of this combined is virtually making him more powerful each time we see him, and as much as we all want to kill him, the job in itself sadly, is not getting any easier." Sango said.

"You're right about that. It pisses me off that while we're slowly making progress with finding shards of our own, it irks me to know that Naraku has all the time in world to do nothing but set traps and trick us constantly into doing something he wants." Inuyasha said.

"Hey, why don't you ask Toutousai some questions about the Tetsusaiga? Maybe he could help you out, Inuyasha. I mean, if he took the time to make a new sword from your fang when your old one broke, then he should be able to figure something out." Shippo suggested.

"You may have a point there, Shippo. I have to admit, while I hate having to visit the old fart and listen to his nonsensical blabbering, he has come through for us a couple of times. Maybe I should drop him a visit..... ----- Huh?" Inuyasha was interrupted as he sensed something falling from the sky nearby.

"What the!?" Miroku said, standing up.

__

CRASHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was the cue for Momo, the three eyed cow, to crash directly into the campsite. His unexpected entrance had scared everyone half to death, making them jump.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!" Sango said, a sweat drop rolling down the side of her head.

"Ooooohhhh.... Why does that thing ALWAYS have to do that? Has it ever heard of making a calling first?" Shippo said, flipped upside down against a tree trunk, his eyes swirling.

"Ughhh... I agree... I'm rather tired of Momo _dropping_ in on us.... forgive the pun." Miroku said, making a prayer. Sango came up and punched him over the head, knocking him to the ground. "OWWWWWW!!!!!! Now what was THAT for!?!?" Miroku held his head, annoyed.

"Now's not the time for lame jokes!!!" Sango said, grinding her teeth.

"Moooo!!!!" Momo mooed. Inuyasha stood back up, dusting himself off.

"Hey, that figures. As soon as I think about the old fossil, his pet cow shows up right on time. And I think I smell another visitor to come with the beef package..." Inuyasha said, walking over to Momo and searching its fur.

"_MASTER INUYASHA!!!_ Boy, am I glad to see your presence!!!" a familiar little voice squeaked, as Myoga the flea bounced out of the depths of Momo's fur and leapt towards Inuyasha's face. Myoga wasted no time clinging onto Inuyasha's nose, puncturing it with his little pointy mouth.

"And also I might add have I missed this succulent nose and all of the nutritious nutrients it contains within!" Myoga said, feeling his small stomach begin to fill with blood. However, Inuyasha simply responded by slapping his face, squashing Myoga against his hand.

"YEOWWWWWWWWWCHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" Myoga wailed, as Inuyasha removed his hand. Myoga could be seen flat as pancake against the half demon's palm, his mouth dripping with blood. "Owwww.... Master Inuyasha, can't you give an old flea a break? I'm long overdue for a drink, you know!" Myoga said, groaning.

"Oh, just cut the crap, Myoga. I'm surprised to find you here. I guess ever since that fight I had with Kajinbou half a month ago, all you've been doing is hanging out with Toutousai, huh? Well, as they always say, cowardice goes hand in hand." Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes.

"Hey!!! I'll have you know that I haven't been hiding! I've been doing my best as your retainer to collect as much info I could about the jewel shards you seek, not only learning a thing or two about your newly forged Tetsusaiga. Now, you haven't been playing the part of the fool and went off transforming into your full demon form, have you? I've told you many times not to do that." Myoga said, closing his eyes and folding his four arms.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I haven't had any reason to do that in awhile. But if push comes to shove, nothing will stop me from going all out during a battle. But in the meantime, I'm actually glad you're here. I was just thinking of going over to Toutousai's place to ask him some questions about the Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha said.

"Hmm, that's interesting, indeed. Why don't you tell me about as we go back there? Coincidentally, Toutousai had sent us out to search for you to see how the search for the shards were going. But seeing as this important matter has come up, we had better get back so we can see fit to it." Myoga said.

"That sounds fine to me. Anyway, Miroku? You and the others stay here with Kagome for now. I'll be heading off to Toutousai's. I shouldn't be very long. Hopefully the fart can help me." Inuyasha said, climbing onto Momo.

"Right. We'll be right here in case anything happens, of course." Miroku replied.

"Well, let's go, Myoga-jiji!" Inuyasha declared.

"HEY! I told you not to call me that! Honestly, sometimes you can be really rude and immature....." Myoga mumbled, as Momo quickly took off into the woods.

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"WHAT? You came here to ask me such a stupid question?! What are you, brain dead?" Toutousai mocked Inuyasha. Toutousai was sitting in front of a large plate of stone with a long piece of metal in front of it, slamming down his hammer onto it. He blew a stream of fire onto it to heat the metal into the shape of a sword. Inuyasha was standing at this side, his arms crossed.

"Did you even hear a word I said, old man!? I won't repeat myself again! I SAID that I think the Tetsusaiga might have weakened a little. Now, I'm not completely sure, but just today I fought with Naraku and I was barely able to hit him. I thought you said that since the new Tetsusaiga was forged from my fang this time around, it would be much stronger. What the hell is the deal? Is there something you're not telling me?" Inuyasha said, tapping his foot, completely impatient. He had no time to deal with Toutousai's mockery or riddles.

"You just don't get it, do you, boy? Yes, while its true that the Tetsusaiga is much stronger from your fang, the only problem is that you still can't seem to harness the power from within required to break through the barrier of releasing its full power. Remember, Inuyasha, just as the old Tetsusaiga was forged from your father's fang, though it had taken some time, you did master the ability to use the Kaze no Kizu (Wound of the Wind), the Wind Scar. Now, you have to learn all over again to become one with your own fang. Have you already forgotten about the Bakuryuuha, boy?" Toutousai reminded Inuyasha, lightly hitting him over the head with the hammer.

"What? The Bakuryuuha... Explosive Style Tear... Yes, now I remember. Tetsusaiga's true ultimate attack, which is far stronger than the Wind Scar. Even though I've only managed to pull it off once, but I could never truly understand how it exactly worked again. I was still struggling with the sheer weight of the damned thing at the time." Inuyasha said, scratching his head.

"That's because you're too quick to do and not _think_, boy! Do I have to explain it to you all over again?" Toutousai said, blowing another ball of fire onto the sword before him. After the sword had cooled off, he put it aside and took Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga and laid it onto the plate, examining it. "By the gray hairs on my head, what did you do with this thing? Use it to clip your toenails or go spearheading with it? The blade is far more serrated compared to the old Tetsusaiga when I first saw it." Toutousai grimaced.

"Just fix the thing and tell me more about the Bakuryuuha, old man, or you'll be wearing your wrinkled ass for hat!" Inuyasha threatened, raising his fist.

"Gyaaaaaaah!!!! Calm down!!! My god, you can be such a violent and ill tempered little demon." Toutousai's eyes bugged out its sockets. He took his hammer and slammed it down onto the sword and breathing fire onto it.

"Yes, anyway, about the Bakuryuuha. You see, as you know its Tetsusaiga's strongest and only ultimate attack. It is a very deadly attack that envelopes your opponent's energy in the Wind Scar and reverses the actual flow of it. What happens next is a sort of a coiled up version of the Wind Scar, where the collected energy takes the form of a tornado wind. This same winds gets pushed right back onto the enemy, and the enemy is blasted by their own energy in addition to the Tetsusaiga's." Toutousai said, smoothing out the edge of the Tetsusaiga's blade.

"Oh, I think I'm beginning to understand what you're saying. So basically, the more powerful my enemy's energy is, the more powerful the Bakuryuuha is?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yep! You're learning, my boy! This means double the damage the attack can dish out." Toutousai nodded.

"Hmm, that's interesting. And to think I've never understood exactly how it worked when I first used it." Inuyasha said thoughtfully. "At least now I know how it works."

"Yes, but you still must learn to become one with the Tetsusaiga. You can't just rely on brute force to slay your enemies, Inuyasha. That'll end up getting you in twice as much trouble than you originally were in to begin with! Just remember to focus all your strength into the Tetsusaiga and not to attack so forcefully without thinking. You've done it before, and you can do it again. Your father, Inutaisho, didn't treasure you with this sword for nothing." Toutousai said, putting the finishing touches to the Tetsusaiga.

"There, its all done! Good as new! Reinforced and tougher than ever. Should take months before the blade even begins to wear down!" Toutousai said. Inuyasha picked it up, having the relief of not having to have such a hard time lifting it such as when he first received it.

"Thanks, old man. I'm going back with Myoga to the camp. I've already told him about what had happened Kagome. We're on a mission to find a way to cure her poisoning." Inuyasha said, sheathing the sword.

"The poor girl... I have to say that I'm sorry for not having any idea to help her... I'm more of a sword smith than a doctor... but I have to wish all of you good luck and I pray that she'll be cured." Toutousai said.

"Thanks, Toutousai. Anyway, I'm off! I'll see you later!" Inuyasha said, leaving the small cave like home.

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About twenty minutes later back at the campsite, Myoga was inspecting Kagome's healed wound. The little flea carefully examined the purple shade that laced the skin of Kagome's stomach, nodding over and over again. He closed his eyes.

"Hmm, I agree with everyone, alright. This is definitely something Naraku of his kind would pull off. I can sense an unmistakable dark aura coming from the poison seed within her side. This is most unfortunate turn of events, so to speak." Myoga said.

"Isn't there anyway to eliminate the seed and its poison altogether, Myoga?" Sango asked.

Myoga remained silent, thinking to himself. "Well... now that I think about it..." Myoga trailed off, leaving everyone in suspense. They all closed in, eager to hear what Myoga was going to say. The flea finally opened his eyes and looked up at everyone.

"I have NO clue." Myoga said.

In response, everyone face faulted hard, even Kirara. Inuyasha stood back up and grabbed Myoga in his hand, shaking him all over the place. "YOU BLOOD SUCKING POOR EXCUSE OF A FLEA!!! YOU'D BETTER TELL US WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OR THIS TIME I'LL **REALLY** SQUASH YOU TO DEATH!!!" Inuyasha screamed, his ears perked up.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! No, please, master! ANYTHING but that!!! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!!!!! Please, put me dowwwwnnnn!!!" Myoga yelled for mercy.

Inuyasha lowered Myoga back onto Kagome's stomach, and Myoga took a few deep breaths. He calmed down and started to speak again, suddenly having an idea that came to him. "I think I may have an idea that might be able to help Kagome after all. After all of that razing Inuyasha gave me, I suddenly thought of something..." Myoga said.

"Hmph! Looks like my threats are good for something after all. Good thing your memory's been jogged." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Looking back, I remember hearing a tale many years ago about a special type of plant that could be also used as a medicinal herb to treat any type of wound or injury, and even could be provided as a cure to even the strongest type of poison. It was called the Ringenkai Plant." Myoga said, everything coming back to him as clear as day.

"The Ringenkai Plant?" Miroku asked.

"I've never heard of it myself, either." Sango said.

"Tell us more about it, Myoga." Shippo said, leaning in closer.

"Yes... well, during the feudal war across Japan, the plant was heavily and constantly used as a healing herb for soldiers who fought, especially during the Battle of Sekigahara. It worked wonders for most of the sick, but as time went on and as the years had gone by, the reliance on the Ringenkai Plant had grown low, as the plant itself begun to grow particularly scarce due to the harsh environmental changes. All of the plants had started to slowly die off, especially during the severity of the summer and winter seasons. Even though there have been rumors that the plant can still be found in some places, it can be at most considered very rare to this day, practically right up to the point where only up to three plants in total can grow once a year." Myoga recalled.

"So in a sense this would mean that there's a chance Kagome could be cured because of this plant." Inuyasha said, his interest peaked.

"Myoga, while knowing all of this is a great relief to us all, we still need more information. Such as, do you know any specific locations where you think the Ringenkai Plant could possibly grow?" Miroku intercepted.

"Well, unfortunately, that is all the information I know about it, Miroku. If I had any more knowledge on the plant, I wouldn't have hesitated for a second to tell all of you. But sadly, I know nothing more." Myoga said.

"Grrrrr!!! Myoga-jiji, you're so freaking useless! You get all our hopes up like that, only to tell us in the end you don't even have the slightest clue where the goddamn plant could be? What's the point!?" Inuyasha said angrily.

"Wh... wha... what!?!? I help you guys out of the goodness of my heart and this is the thanks I get!? Master Inuyasha, you are such an ungrateful brat!!! Had your father been still alive he'd have given you a thousand spankings for having such a foul attitude!" Myoga yelled back.

"I'm far too OLD for spankings, buddy! I'm a demon in a class of my own! I'll pass judgement on something whether you like it or not!" Inuyasha leaned in against Myoga's face.

"Keep talking like that and I'll... I'll... I'll suck the blood out of your nose!" Myoga threatened.

Shippo came in and pushed Inuyasha and Myoga apart. "That's enough!!! Quit arguing, you guys! We have to concentrate on helping Kagome here!" Shippo said.

"Shippo is right, Inuyasha! Had it not been for Myoga, we would have never known of the plant at all, and Kagome would be doomed. We were lucky that he came across us when he did." Sango said. Inuyasha sighed and leaned back against a tree, crossing his arms and giving up.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm sorry about that. I'm just angry for the fact things couldn't have been any more difficult for us. I mean, while its great that we know a plant exists for the cure to Kagome's poisoning, thanks to your knowledge, that only leaves one burning question. Where the hell _is_ the Ringenkai Plant?" Inuyasha said, grinding his teeth.

A few feet away, hidden deep within the foliage of the forest, stood the same figure that was spying on Inuyasha and the others back at the village upon their leaving. In the figure's hand was a large white fan, which the person had held close to their chest. A soft female laugh disrupted the silence, revealing her appearance as she turned around.

"The Ringenkai Plant... the only antidote to Kagome's poisoning." the woman said, as the light from the moon rained down on her, showing her face. The woman was Kagura of the Wind, a beautiful wind demon with deep red eyes and short black hair in a bun, which had a white feather attached it. From her pointed ears hung pearl shaped earrings, which had a small glint to them, and she was dressed in very colorful red and white robes. She took the feather in her hair and transformed it into an even bigger one, as Kagura gracefully hopped up onto it. She rode the feather high up into the night sky, leaving the vicinity of the forest.

"Naraku would be one to know of such valuable information, no doubt. I suppose now that Inuyasha's chances of rescuing his dear Kagome have receded to that of nothing. How sad." Kagura said in a unemotional tone of voice, as she quietly flew off into the night breeze.

Back at the camp, Inuyasha paused for a moment and turned around, alerted. Miroku and the others looked up at him. "Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha waved his hand, shrugging, but still suspicious.

"Well... I thought I had sensed someone a moment ago, but maybe I was just imagining things. It was nothing." Inuyasha replied.

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The End of Chapter 5.


	6. Dead Whispering Winds

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 6: Dead Whispering Winds

The loud crashing waves of a waterfall up in the eastern mountains ran down into the waiting mouth of a wide river below, and the yellow morning sun dawned upon the beautiful rocky environment. The surroundings were nothing but a barren land of dust and rock and a few trees here and there. A faint but still visible rainbow gleamed in the blue skies near the sun, which had appeared not too long after the previous rainstorm had ended. At the very top of the running waterfall, the figure a young man was lightly running about through the stream, sending splashes of water cascading upon the tops of the rocks protruding from the surface.

"Oh, brother. What a total waste of time and energy. And to think we came all the way out here looking for food, and not a single evident sign of a morsel of meat around waiting to be slaughtered." the fit young man said in a low growl like voice. He had short black hair tied into a long wild ponytail in the back, and had ferocious blue eyes, almost like a wolf's. He also wore lightweight armor with wolf fur at the edges that revealed his muscular arms and legs, and on his left side he kept a sheathed sword, but it was rarely used, except for whenever he went hunting. His pointy ears also led to a strong assumption that he was a demon, which he clearly was. His name was Kouga, the young leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe, a pack of demons that survive in their homeland in the mountains by hunting for food and pillaging villages for fun and profit.

Coming to a stop near the edge of the waterfall, Kouga had put a hand over his eyes to block out the burning sun above. Now that his vision was a little more clear, that didn't help for that fact that what he saw below was rather an annoying disappointment. He saw nothing but the barren land and no scent nor sight of any animals he could hunt down for food. The man shook his head, putting his hands to his side.

"Hmph. Just as I thought. There's no way you could ever find a living thing down there. Not even a village to plunder for any type of treasure. Grrr, this is getting on my last nerves." Kouga said to himself, turning around and walking back to the two figures in the distance. They were both sitting on the grass beside the river, laughing and joking about. Kouga scoffed, their cheerful expressions only adding more to his frustration.

"Hey, leader! Did you find anything worth killing down there? You came back mighty quick!" the first man said, who was holding a stick with a piece of twine attached to it. It appeared that he was fishing in the river, but not having any luck. His name was Hakkaku Kibamori, Kouga's left hand man.

"Yeah, but keep in mind, Kouga's the fastest demon alive! Of course he'd be back so soon! Only he'd have a nose for the right rations!" the second man said, sitting cross legged on the grass while smashing two big rocks together in his hands for no specific reason. His name was Ginta Akabu, who served as Kouga's right hand man. Both Hakkaku and Ginta had also wore light armor similar to Kouga's, and they too were wolf demons, but not nearly as powerful as their leader. They usually accompanied Kouga during their hunting escapades, and whenever a fight was brewing, they were always the first to step in line because they were the most efficient out of all of Kouga's wolf tribe. There wouldn't have been any other reason why they were in the high position they were in now. But not even their sharp skills could save them from going hungry in the middle of nowhere.

"Hmph! I'm surprised you buffoons can be so optimistic at a ridiculous time like this. I sure as hell didn't find a damned thing worth noting back there. The entire land is dead, and I can't even pick up a single trace of an animal scent. And just _whose_ bright idea it was to come out here again? They're looking to get a brutal beating, courtesy of me." Kouga said, crossing his arms. Kouga was never necessarily the type to joke around when it came to serious situations such as this, and in earnest, Hakkaku and Ginta feared their own leader when he was like that.

"Ummm...." Hakkaku hesitated, a sweat drop rolling down the side of his face. "It was HIS fault! I _said_ that we should have went WEST, but noooooooo, Ginta INSISTED that we come out here! It wasn't my fault Kouga!!!" Hakkaku accused, holding his hands on either side of his head in fear. Ginta turned around with narrow eyes, angry at being falsely accused.

"Hey!!! No way, you dumbass! It was YOUR idea! _I_ was the one who wanted to go west! They have so much more fish in the lakes there! We could have loaded up big time, too! But thanks to you, we're sitting here starving ourselves to death! If its anyone that deserves to have his ass kicked, its YOU, Hakkaku!" Ginta yelled.

"Don't even _think_ of reversing the roles here, pal! I said it first and foremost, it was all your fault!" Hakkaku said, jumping onto Ginta and wrestling him to the ground. They both rolled over and dirtied themselves up, punching and kicking each other hard. Kouga sighed and walked away from the scene, leaping up onto a huge boulder at the side of the river. He bent forward and rested his right elbow on his leg, staring off into the grassy fields and ignoring Hakkaku and Ginta. He was far too upset to deal with those two, as he had his mind on other manners.

"I don't have to beat those two up. They're already doing a good job of it on their own. Not only am I concerned about finding some goddamned food to get my energy back up, the one other thing that I haven't come to terms of giving up on is finding that demon shit Naraku." Kouga said to himself. He made a fist with his left hand and punched the side of the boulder, creating a huge crack to form from where he attacked it. His blue eyes burned with a fiery anger, as he thought back to half a month ago where he was deviously tricked by Naraku.

__

"Naraku. The one demon that was responsible for killing my fellow brothers, and the one who sent that broad Kagura to do the evil deed for him. How much I've been wanting to tear them both to shreds with my bare hands, I can't recall how long..."

Kouga's thoughts had transitioned to that particular time just about a few minutes before the memory scarring incident occurred. As he sat in peace inside the wolf demon den, he was doing his best to recover from the wounds he suffered from one of Naraku's flying demons.

Previously, thanks to Inuyasha, the half demon had ended up slaying the demon with one swing of his sword before Kouga himself was about to be massacred into a bloody mess. Not only did was that overly embarrassing to his entire tribe and especially Kagome, he had the sacred jewel shard in his right arm torn out in the process of the flying demons' attack in the mountains. Kouga had no choice but to retreat from the area, knowing that he was at a fault, and Inuyasha was ready to kill him for kidnapping Kagome.

Suffering total defeat and humiliation, Kouga's rest was interrupted by another tribe of wolf demons from the northern lands. At first, Kouga wasn't necessarily open to them since they were of different tribes, yet struck from the same mold, but the news they relayed to him soon after their visit had peaked his interest.

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"Kouga, we've came all this way to bring you this news. Our scouts have been following the scent of those strange flying demons that have been preying on your wolves, and they have reported to us that it led to some sort of a huge castle a few miles not too far from here. In the castle there supposed to be a man believed to have a ton of sacred jewel shards." said a wolf demon dressed in black armor to Kouga.

"Yeah, Kouga! Think of all of those shards just wide open for us to take! We could easily kill the guy holding them and take whatever else he has of worth in addition to the shards. This will make up for all the suffering we had to put up with being killed off by those demons, and the shards themselves could make us even more powerful in terms of strength. So we're going to take our whole pack down there to investigate things." a second wolf demon joined in, a determined glint in his eyes.

"What do you say, Kouga? Will you join up with us? This is a huge opportunity for both of our tribes." the first demon asked with hope.

While Kouga was briefly interested in what they had to say, at the moment he was too tired to think straight nor do anything for awhile. He leaned back against the moist stone wall, his eyes glancing down to the large scar across his right arm, where he lost the jewel shard embedded inside it a day ago. He took a heavy sigh, although he was curious to know who was the one sending those demons. He shook his head, refusing the offer made to him.

"Nah, do whatever you want. I'm just not ready to go out and fight yet, or even walk. Besides, I don't think you'll be needing much help from us if you're only out to take out one guy for his share of jewel shards. Doesn't sound like a hard job to me, anyway." Kouga said tiredly.

"What? Are you sure that you'd rather stay here?" the second demon asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Like I said, how much power could it take? Hell, I would do it alone if I was up to it, but you can clearly see I'm not in the mood." Kouga replied, his eyes closed.

"Well, we won't ask twice. As a matter of fact, a good amount of your pack members were agreeable to join up with us so they can get some of the shards too. I would assume you don't mind if they decide to come along for the pillaging, right?" the first demon queried.

"Well, I'm not going to stop them, they're not children. Fine, take them. But I do expect you not to back out of my pack getting a decent amount of the shards, got it? Or else there'll be trouble, and I don't think you'd want that." Kouga warned.

"Alright, you made your point. We're going to head out to the castle tonight sharp the minute the moon breaks out. Come on, let's get moving." the first demon said to the second, getting up. They both left the place, leaving Kouga and the rest of his tribe inside the cave.

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"Who would have known that would be the most major mistake they could have made that night? I still can't get that horrible sight out of my mind..."

Later that night, Kouga and his men were hanging out by a waterfall, when suddenly one of the wolf demons from the northern tribe came stumbling toward them, suffering from a terrible vertical wound across his chest.. The men ran up to him out of concern, wondering what happened. Kouga tried to hold him up for support, but it looked like the wolf demon wouldn't last much longer, as quarts of blood was profusely running down his wound. He breathed out the last of dying words to the young wolf tribe leader.

"Nnnghhh.... we... stormed... the castle... but... we were caught completely off... guard..." the demon sputtered, blood dripping from his mouth.

"What?! What happened? Who did this to you? What about the others?" Kouga asked desperately and barely taking a breath between each question, as he leaned in closer to hear what the demon had to say.

"Were we attacked... Ughhh... all of us... we were all decimated in one blow, some sort of energy... someone at the castle killed most of us... Nnnghh... don't... know... who..." the wolf demon slowly reached down and took out what looked to be a Shikon jewel shard from his belt, and handed it to Kouga. He coughed up another wave of blood, his eyes becoming hazy.

"Found... this... at the castle... just before we were attacked... Nnnghhh... Hurry... and use this... before everyone else d... dies!!!" the man pleaded. Kouga narrowed his eyes, becoming extremely upset. He gently lifted the man into the arms of another fellow demon, and took a brief look at the shard that he given.

Without even thinking for a second, Kouga inserted the shard into wound in his right arm, and for a moment, he felt a great surge of power rushing through him. The jewel shard increased his strength nearly tenfold, as a purple haze of mist surrounded the shard. All of this combined adrenaline rushing through Kouga's veins only added to his anger, and he was ready to set out to find out what was going on.

"Hey, keep watch over him and help him out!" Kouga said, turning to all of his men.

"But hey, leader! Where are you going!?" Hakkaku asked, puzzled.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going down to the castle to help out the attacking party as best as I can. I'm not about to stand here and let our kind get killed by the asshole who caused this mess! All of you stay here, alright? I'll catch you later!" Kouga said, taking off into a dash that soon turned into a speedy white mini-whirlwind, zooming off into the darkness of the night. Ginta shook his head.

"Man, he can be so reckless sometimes! Maybe we should have all went with him!" Ginta said, still staring in the direction that Kouga ran off in.

"Nah, Kouga will be fine! He told us himself to stay here, and we'd probably all get in the way. I mean, if the whole northern wolf pack was caught in an ambush, who knows what would happen if we all came to the castle also?" Hakkaku responded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Quick, let's help this guy out before ---- huh!?" Ginta said, as the wounded wolf demon suddenly stood up and had a lifeless stare in his eyes. The blood seeping from his wound was flowing nearly twice as fast, forming a pool of red liquid around his feet.

"Its....... Ughhhh.... too.... late......." the demon said flatly.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Hakkaku asked, unsure of what to do. As soon as he finished his question, he and everyone else witnessed the wound begin to foam and tear in half, causing the wolf demon's upper half of his body to slide off and splat onto the ground. The mere disturbing sight and stink of the dead demon's body caused Hakkaku, Ginta, and the others to turn away in shock and disgust.

"Aghhhhhhhh!!!!" Ginta yelled, his mind flashing to Kouga, who was already miles away from here. _"Will... will Kouga make it on his own!? All by himself!?"_ Ginta thought.

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"Even as fast as the jewel shards in my legs could carry me, by the time I had gotten to Naraku's castle, I was far too late..."

"Oh no... No!!!" Kouga uttered, his eyes wide to the extreme. Upon arriving at the castle, his senses unfamiliar with the new terrain, the young leader had almost stumbled back upon the sight of seeing about thirty members of the northern wolf tribe completely slaughtered in an overflowing ocean of blood and guts, with people of his own tribe laying amongst them. With the apparent dismemberment at an all time maximum, the smell of blood invaded Kouga's sensitive nostrils like a bad plague, refusing to leave until its torturing scent drove him insane.

Never, in all the years Kouga has spent raiding villages and killing anyone who dared to step in his way, had he ever seen so much horror. This was the same horror that he now vowed to no longer cause by his own hands, as the sweet innocence of the young girl he had fallen in love with - Kagome Higurashi - had changed his demeanor. Kouga no longer truly desired to harm others weaker than he and his pack. At first, Kouga could have cared less whenever he would let his wolves feed on the helpless humans after stealing some food and items of value. But now, with seeing his own kind having their lives taken so mercilessly without question, he was even more convinced that what he had previously done for fun, was now wrong by a standard.

Kouga was ready to take his revenge, and the thought of having mercy on the killer never hit him even once. Kouga grinded his teeth hard, his clenched fist raised in front of him. He felt another strong surge shoot through him, which he knew was coming from the shard in his arm. "I can't believe I didn't make it on time... but who could have done this to them all? Who....." Kouga's voice trailed off as he peered deeper into the purple darkness of the courtyard, spotting a lone figure dressed in red and having long white hair, accompanied by a few other people. He didn't have to take a second guess as to who it was.

"Inu... Inuyasha!?" Kouga whispered, surprised to see the dog demon standing directly in the center of the wolf demon corpses, his sword and outfit covered in blood. Inuyasha had the scent of his wolf pack's blood all over him - and immediately, Kouga knew right off the bat that the half demon was responsible for what happened. Kouga's anger shot through the roof as he leapt down from the castle wall.

"INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kouga screamed, his right fist glowing with a whitish energy field. He zoomed towards Inuyasha, ready to strike him down with a vengeance.

"What ------- Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, being struck hard across the face by Kouga. Inuyasha was knocked back a few feet, just before catching himself and landing safely on the ground. Inuyasha gripped his Tetsusaiga, as Kouga stood upright, facing his enemy vigorously. "So it was YOU who did this to my pack!!! I should have known that a dog shit like you would turn around and do something like this to get back at me! For that, I'll kill you and make you die the most painful death your pea sized brain could ever imagine!" Kouga growled, taking another bountiful dash toward Inuyasha.

Inuyasha jumped out of the way of Kouga's attack, which caused a massive burst of energy to erupt onto the ground and form a huge crater where the half demon had previously stood. Kouga kept up a flurry of these Shikon Jewel empowered attacks, but Inuyasha managed to evade every single one of them.

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"Just then, that was when that witch Kagura appeared during my scuffle with Inuyasha. She revealed to me that it was all a trick, with Naraku hoping that Inuyasha and I would end up killing each other in our mislead fight. Thanks to her, it was her sorcery that made me think it was Inuyasha that killed my comrades, but in reality it was her..."

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"Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!" Kagura, the Wind Sorceress laughed, slowly approaching Kouga and the injured Inuyasha. "Naraku was right, as always. You truly are an idiot if you were to fall for such a clever trap that easily." Kagura said, holding her white fan in front of her chest.

"And just who the hell are you!?" Kouga said, turning to face Kagura.

"While you may have think you've killed Inuyasha, your foolish barrage has proven you quite weak and gullible to believe everything you see..... Why don't I introduce to you one of my special dances. Namely, the dance of the dead. Oh, what a sight it will be to see you slain by your own fellow wolf demons." Kagura said, waving her large fan across the air.

With one quick motion of her fan, Kagura had used her dark sorcery to revive the dead corpses of the wolf demons. Kouga took a few steps back, realizing that it was Kagura who killed his comrades. As the wolf demons closed in on Kouga, trapping him in a tight circle, the young demon fixated his eyes on Kagura.

"What the!? You're telling me that it was you who killed them??? It makes sense now... with this weird magic of hers to bring their dead bodies back to life, its clear that this bitch was the one who did this... Kagome tried to tell me that it wasn't Inuyasha, but I refused to believe it... Damn it!!!" Kouga said, his body trembling a little. He knew that he would have to live with the shame of mistaking the true killer of his friends for someone else, and it was time that Kouga rectified his wrongdoing by going straight for this mysterious female demon known as Kagura.

Kouga did a spinning kick, knocking away the wolf demons in front of him. He then charged directly for Kagura, ready to strike her down. But in a quick flash, he felt his whole body stop. He tried to move, but for some reason his arms and legs refused to cooperate.

"Wha... what's this!? I can't move!!!" Kouga said, frozen in place. Kagura laughed at the wolf demon's misfortune, opening her fan and hiding the lower half of her face behind the open thin fabric.

"Ha ha ha... Of course you can't. The reason why is because of Shikon Jewel shard in your arm." Kagura said.

"Huh? I don't understand! The jewel increased my strength, so how could it---" Kouga was cut off by Kagura's interruption.

"You fool. The shard implanted in your arm is but a mere fake decoy, made from crystallized miasma, a deadly poison that can quickly make you suffer a slow and agonizing death. Yes, surprising, is it not?" Kagura smirked, watching the emotional despair on Kouga's face.

"What!? Another trick!?" Kouga gasped helplessly.

"And now, this unfortunate little situation you put yourself into provides me with the incentive to finish you off. After I am done carving your pathetic dirty carcass into pieces, Inuyasha will be my next target." Kagura said, her eyes drifting over to Inuyasha, who was still lying inside of the crater that he was punched into by Kouga earlier. Inuyasha's arm was broken, and he was too injured to move. "The perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, if I don't say so myself." Kagura announced, waving her white fan again through the air. Several strong gusts of wind circled around her and swam around the length of the fan, shooting out directly at Kouga. The wind slashes cut Kouga brutally on several places on his body, knocking him down to the ground hard. 

"Kyaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!" Kouga cried, his cuts stinging as if he were bit by a snake. Kouga was bleeding all over, the recoil from the attack too powerful to prevent him from dodging another one of Kagura's winds. Also, the fake jewel shard only made the pain twice as worse, as he felt each limb through his body become numb from the miasma poison. He found himself defenseless against Kagura. Blinking more than he could count, his vision had become blurry, with only Kagura's image clear, taking each and every step toward him at a slow pace...

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"It all happened in one huge blur. Just when Kagura was about to take the jewel shards from my legs, that was when Kagome had fended her off with her arrows. The next thing I knew, Inuyasha had managed to attack Kagura with that sword of his and eventually Kagome freed me from the poison of the miasma shard by purifying an arrow. Soon after that, I was left alone at the castle, unable to do anything but swear revenge on both Kagura and Naraku for killing my men. It was the least I could do to owe it to Kagome and the others."

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Kouga snapped out of his lost thoughts, once again seeing Hakkaku and Ginta still fighting with each other in the water. It was already close to the afternoon, and he wondered how much time has passed since he started daydreaming. "Hmph, it only seemed like it was morning a few minutes ago. Time sure flies when you're hungry as hell." Kouga said, hopping off of the boulder. He also couldn't help but question how long Hakkaku and Ginta were quarreling.

"You're so damn useless, you know that!!! Man, I don't know what Kouga saw in you to make you his left hand man at all! Boman was twice the better hunter than you'll ever be. It still puzzles me as what you accomplished to get the title you have today!" Ginta yelled while taking some swings at Hakkaku.

"Left is ALWAYS better than right! You of all people should know that! Don't even criticize, because you have the poorest sense of direction I have EVER seen! You were the same one who led us out telling our leader that there we some wild boars out here!" Hakkaku screamed back, ducking and dodging Ginta's punches and kicks. Kouga sighed heavily and shook his head, a vein in his forehead pulsing.

"Hey, you two lunkheads! Its time we got out of here! We've wasted enough hours searching around here!!" Kouga said, waving his arm to the two bumbling buffoons. "I don't even know why I made BOTH of you my left and right hand men. Every time I turn around, you two are either up to some foolishness or you're arguing over something." he said, walking down the rocky path away from the waterfall. Hakkaku and Ginta quickly stopped and followed their leader, still bickering.

"But Kouga, it wasn't my fault!" Hakkaku protested.

"Neither it was mine!" Ginta said. Kouga punched a rock, causing the debris to fly in all directions. Hakkaku and Ginta jumped back in fear, falling into silence.

"Listen, save it, okay!? Forget about finding tonight's dinner. I'm off to continue my search for Naraku. The less restless nights I spend wishing I could strangle his neck, the more I'll better and less agitated. Simply put, you fools, the sooner I find him, the better. So you two can just go back to the den in the mountains while I go off." Kouga ordered, starting to walk back to the forest.

"Hey, Kouga, are you sure about that? I mean, it wouldn't be wise to try and fight on an empty stomach. You might get sick." Ginta said worriedly.

"Yeah, and besides, it really won't be a long trip to the western lands. Might I add, where we ORIGINALLY supposed to go. But we should able to still catch some good healthy meat before the sun goes down, right? So why don't we go back there?" Hakkaku suggested.

"Heh, forget it, Hakkaku. I already have my sights set on finding Naraku's castle, so don't even try to tell me otherwise. Plus, I think I'll stop by a certain group and see how my woman Kagome is doing while I'm at it. Seeing her again is an option I'd highly prefer over stuffing my gut full. Later, gators!" Kouga said, running off into the distance. His body disappeared into a spinning whirlwind as he entered the forest far away, leaving Hakkaku and Ginta behind.

"Um... Kouga?" Ginta called. "Oh, never mind. Its too late now."

"Huh? What's too late? What do you mean?" Hakkaku asked, as Ginta walked back to the side of the river and bent down, sinking his hand into the running water.

"I mean, its too late to tell him I snagged a mighty big fish during our arguement." Ginta said, lifting a large fish that he held tightly in his hand by the fin. The fish flopped around, and Hakkaku's eyes bugged out.

"Ahhhh!!! You mean while you were trying to beat the crap out of me, somehow you caught a fish!? I didn't even notice it, either! Why didn't you tell Kouga before he stormed off?" Hakkaku said. "You idiot! You see what I mean, you can never do anything right. I bet you were the same one who forgot to feed the wolves last week, weren't you?"

"Hey! I forgot okay? Don't get your thong in a bunch! I mean... its not like I _intentionally_ forgot to tell him. Right?" Ginta said, staring at Hakkaku. Hakkaku remained silent for a few moments. He turned and put his hands in the back of his head, whistling softly.

"So... um, do you plan to chase after him and tell him you got some food?" Hakkaku asked casually. Ginta gasped, jumping back with his arms raised.

"WHAT!? Hey, are you kidding me? I may be the guy's right hand man, but I don't have a death wish!" Ginta replied. "Besides, he'd end up taking the biggest share of the fish for himself anyway, so finder's keepers!" Ginta said, walking off with Hakkaku back onto the trail that led back to the mountains.

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"Heh heh! Not if a certain little birdie tells Kouga the truth first..." Hakkaku thought, snickering to himself with glee.

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The never ending purple shade of the clouds rained their foul mist upon the grounds of the dreary fortress that loomed in the middle of it. Naraku's castle, its location unbeknownst to many and knowledgeable to few, stood so prominent with an illusion projecting itself to be a reality. The poison miasma was spread across the perimeter of the structure, forming a barrier to conceal itself from would be attackers. But the miasma did allow one person to enter the grounds, as a woman on a large white feather flew through a faintly visible hole within the mist.

It was Kagura, the demon Wind Sorceress. She was the second detachment of Naraku himself, and while every single vessel and vein that had beat within her was the blood of not only hers, but Naraku as well, her motives was different from that of the foul male half demon. However, she had no time to reflect upon her ambition as she landed onto the front steps of the castle and walked through the sliding doors.

Kagura swiftly made her way down the long dark hallways, where she approached the master's quarters. It was there that Naraku quietly sat in the nearly pitch black room, sans for a single candlelight burning brightly at his side. This provided enough light for Kagura to see her master clearly. Kagura took a few more steps into the room slowly, her piercing red eyes flashing. Naraku's evil but serene visage appeared as a reflection in her pupils.

"Kagura... what has brought you back here? Your arrival has come much sooner than I anticipated. I can safely assume that you had detected Inuyasha and his allies as I had requested of you?" Naraku asked, turning his head a little to face Kagura. The orange light from the candle bounced off of Naraku and Kagura's bodies, dancing back and forth in an endless cycle. Kagura tipped her head down a little, trying her best to hold in her violent mannerisms.

"Why, of course, Master Naraku. I've came to inform of some very important news. From what I've gathered not too long ago, Inuyasha has apparently discovered the existence of something called the Ringenkai Plant, a rare little gem of a herb that can be served as an antidote to the poison that Kagome has been infected with. Having dangerous knowledge such as this, Inuyasha would surely hasten the process of finding the plant as soon as possible. Knowing the type of brutish half demon he is, nothing will stand in his way from getting it to save that girl he likes to protect so much." Kagura said softly.

Upon hearing this, Naraku let out a small gasp, the news actually shocking him. His eyes were shaken a bit, but he shrugged it off as not to show any type of emotion relating anywhere close to fear, not around his hated enemies, or even Kagura. Naraku collected himself and turned back to his original direction, gazing into the darkness.

"How irritably annoying to hear all of this. It appears my superior planning has once again been foiled by an unexpected turn of events. I hadn't expected the miasma poison inside the seed of the girl could be so easily countered by the means of a wonder herb. While I can only express my frustration but so much, I have no choice but to continue on with a new plan of my own." Naraku said. "This being turned into a matter I cannot afford to overlook, I now leave you, Kagura, to keep a watchful eye over Inuyasha and the others for the time being. Make it your first priority to make certain that they do not find the location of the Ringenkai Plant."

Kagura no longer could remain silent. Dropping the fan down to her side, she narrowed her eyes, slicing her right hand through the air in a threatening motion to Naraku. "Enough of this! Instead of tending to hide behind ploys, puppets, and influencing others into your control to handle the hardships of your own personal agenda, why do refuse to murder Inuyasha and his party yourself?" asked Kagura, staring Naraku straight in the eye. Her master was clearly annoyed with her useless banter.

Naraku did not respond at first, leaving a heavy silence in the room. Kagura continued, knowing that she held him in a corner. "Why, is it because you are afraid of Inuyasha? Or... could it be that you might not be so highly powerful as you claim to be?" Kagura questioned, gaining the upper hand of the situation. Naraku still did not reply, remaining still on the floor, his eyes unblinking at his own female detachment.

After what seemed like an eternity, Naraku scoffed quietly, closing his eyes and turning away from Kagura again. "Kagura, have you not learned by now? Being the seemingly loyal patsy you are, as a set rule and regulation, you should already be intelligent enough to realize that you should not dare to bite the hand that feeds you. Need I cruelly remind you that I was the one who created you with not the slightest of effort? I can remove you from existence in this pitiful world just as easily in the same manner. As fate would have it, you are a part of me, and as a result you should never think to question my actions nor orders." Naraku warned, his absent gaze falling upon the strange pot that stood on the shelf to his right, with the strange dark object beating inside of it. He put his hand inside the pot, and lifted a small black sphere, holding in his hand the very pulsating heart of Kagura.

"You had best be ill advised that another outburst like that will only bring your one step closer to your death, Kagura." Naraku said. Kagura took a step back, her beautiful face now twisted into an unholy frightful expression. She raised her fan back up against her mouth, attempting to hide her being scared, but Naraku still could tell her reaction from what he just said. Sometimes he loved playing with others' emotions, to watch them cower like lowly peons the moment their death was apparent before their very eyes. Cruelty was only one of the many things Naraku considered to be a fun shenanigan. Whether it was human side or his demon side determining it, no one would ever truly understand what Naraku differentiated between what was proper and what was not, only in his own mind everything was made clear to the world.

".......Y.... yes. I promise not to do anything so foolish again. Forgive me." Kagura pleaded, knocked straight back down to the deep bowels of captivity. Keeping quiet, she said no more, reverting back to keeping her revolting words bottled up on the inside.

"Excellent. Defiance is only restricted to the weak and conquered. Now run along and be a good extension and do as you are told. Take Kanna along with you as you watch over Inuyasha closely." Naraku ordered.

"Yes, master." Kagura said flatly, performing a quick bow and leaving the room, sliding the door shut behind her. She could no longer stand the sight of Naraku, and was glad to have walked through the front doors and leave his unbearable presence and fortress at last. Kagura flew away into the skies on her white feather, exiting through the very same spot in the miasma barrier from where she entered.

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"Tch! My infinite hatred for him knows no bounds! Why has my destiny wrought it upon me to be forced to serve that monster?" Kagura said, riding on her feather high up through the eastern gray skies over a massive land of wide plains. The winds cut through and circumvented around her body, as she willed them aside with her own powers to prevent her from losing any altitude. Kagura was furious with the meaning of her life, seething to the teeth.

"Even though Naraku holds difference between my life and death in his hands, which is my own external heart, no matter how many taunts and threats he chooses to throw at me, I am still able to think upon my own free will. That is one thing Naraku will never be able to control. The mind and spirit of oneself can never be manipulated by the physical actions of another being. I take it that even Naraku knows that, which is why he tries to use my fear of dying as a ruse to keep me under his wing. Having the power to kill me, he would have done it long ago if he was to fear my turning against him. But why does he still prefer to keep me alive?" Kagura said to herself, the winds' being sharper and the climate dropping down to colder temperatures.

"If he cannot do the work of killing Inuyasha, then Naraku is truly a coward deep within the tough exterior he puts out. He claims to have so much power, yet he constantly hides within the darkness of his own abode, splurging in each and every available morsel of power he can steal or muster up. By my own accord, I still cannot help but wonder why he did not kill Inuyasha the last time he had the chance? This was another open opportunity to rid of his enemies but something holds Naraku back. Perhaps it is the desired prolonging of the inevitable he seeks to exploit before he is satisfied with total power, or maybe it is something else. Indeed." Kagura said quietly, her mind wandering with so many questions and no profitable answers.

"But in any case, I should not stress myself with his misdemeanors. I yearn for my own freedom, and the only way that can be accomplished... is if Naraku dies. I don't specifically share concern as for _who_ kills him - but the task must be done, even if I have to pull the strings of everyone involved in this epic battle. Naraku's death and flight to the pits of hell is the only sight I would be so proud to claim bragging rights to have witnessed. I desire not to follow my master's orders - and I would not prefer to harm Inuyasha or any of his associates, as long as it means destruction to Naraku, and for the chains that constrict me to be broken." Kagura said distantly.

About three minutes later, Kagura had come to a stop, and dove down to the open field where the small figure of a young girl waited. The fierce winds blew Kagura's hair and robes aside, and the young girl below seemed to be unfazed by its coldness. Kagura's feather disappeared and attached itself back into Kagura's hair, as she made contact onto the deep grass softly, her bare feet sinking into the green sea. She approached the little girl slowly, giving a little unnoticeable smirk.

"Kanna. So I see Naraku has been playing favorites with his first born, as usual. I gather that he has created a brand new mirror for you." Kagura said, staring down at the girl's mirror, which sported an exotic Japanese design on the outer rim. The glass of the circular mirror, although reflective, seemed to have a whole different reality inside it. The mirror gave off a distinct aura that even Kagura could never decipher, and she wondered what materials were used by Naraku to construct the instrument of terror.

"Yes. A new mirror equals a new and resurrected method to steal the souls of human men." Kanna said, her voice just as flat as Naraku's. Kanna was the very first extension of Naraku, having long white hair that neatly extended down to her waist in the back, with two white flowers pinned to either side of her head. She also wore a sharp white yukata, similar to Kagura's but having not much of a design to it, along with white slippers.

Kanna's appearance was ghost like, where her eyes were nothing but an empty black, her soul being stripped from within. Her pale skin resonated with an illusionary transparency, seeming dead to any normal person. In comparison to Kagura, Kanna appeared to have no soul beneath, and with that, no free will included. With Kagura playing the part of the younger sibling, she had so much more to learn about Kanna. What were the girl's thoughts, were still unknown. Kagura said nothing, still lost in her anger from before. Kanna slowly looked up at her younger sister.

"What is wrong? You act as if you were upset." Kanna questioned. Kagura was surprised that Kanna was so adept at reading emotions. Naturally, she picked that up from Naraku. Kagura shook her head, recognizing the fact that she making herself too obvious, which she didn't want.

"Its nothing. You were just mistaken." Kagura replied softly. Kanna's expression remained unchanged, empty as the heavens in outer space.

"I ask of you again. Is it about our master? Naraku?" Kanna said, sensing Kagura's nervousness. Kagura knew what Kanna was getting at. She wasn't stupid or easy to fool, but Kagura was becoming paranoid that Naraku might be using Kanna to spy on her, and to relay any sort of words that lead to rebellion back to him, albeit giving him a perfectly good excuse to destroy her heart. If she had mentioned a single world relating to plotting against Naraku, her plans would be blown far out of proportion, so Kagura played it silent, not giving her older sister a response to the question.

"And I repeat again, disregard it. Now, onto other matters. We will follow Naraku's orders and follow Inuyasha in order to prevent him from finding any more information on the Ringenkai Plant. I believe I cannot make myself any more clear than that." Kagura said, waving her fan towards her face.

"If that shall be the case, then this means it is a must that Inuyasha be killed." Kanna said. Strangely enough, Kanna sounded as if she was actually sad when she uttered the sentence. Kagura had noticed it, and she began to wonder... did Kanna share the same feelings as she? Perhaps Kanna longed for her freedom as much as Kagura did? It couldn't be possible, for the fact that Kanna has never detracted her own allegiance from Naraku. But as Kagura knew, only time could tell.

"Maybe..." Kagura whispered, staring up at the faint glow of the full moon above. The final gusts of wind harshly blew by the two sisters, marking a chilling conclusion to this night.

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The next morning broke out, and Inuyasha and his friends had continued to travel along to the next village. Kagome was resting against Sango's back, the both of them riding on Kirara's back. Inuyasha, Miroku and Shippo were all walking side by side. Things were different this time however, as the entire group hadn't spoken much amongst each other since last night. The wave of tension was still lingering, and Inuyasha was racked with stress, physically and mentally.

Miroku tapped a pebble on the road aside with the bottom of his staff, being the first to talk. For once, Inuyasha and everyone else was happy to hear that one of them had been brave enough to break the tension that held them down for so long, with Kagome being paralyzed and poisoned.

"Today officially marks the first of the five allotted days. By all means, it is imperative that we find any possible info that may be helpful leading to the location of the Ringenkai Plant." Miroku said.

"Yes, it would be a godsend to us the sooner we know where it is. It'll give us all the time we need to find it in the end." Sango said, holding Kagome's hands around her waist. Kagome was breathing lightly, and not a single word has come out of her since the last battle with Naraku at the village.

"Hey, haven't we been around here before awhile ago? I think we've been down this path." Shippo pointed out, recognizing the lakes and wide crop fields strewn about the hills.

"You're right, Shippo. Kagome and I had came here before, where we met a half demon named Jinenji. This is the same place that was attacked by some demons that were preying on the villagers, and the humans had believed that Jinenji was the one responsible for the murders." Inuyasha said, stopping to take a look at the peaceful lands. He started thinking to himself, where he instantly was hit with an idea.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha? Did you see something that caught your attention?" Miroku asked, also ceasing to stare after his half demon friend. Inuyasha turned back to the others, his arms crossed.

"Heh! You _could_ say that... Now that I think about it, I remember when Kagome and I were searching for herbs when we first came here, Jinenji and his mother were pretty knowledgeable of which herbs were good for medicines and the straight out bad ones to avoid. So are you thinking what I'm thinking? This may mean there's a chance they might know something about the Ringenkai Plant. Well, at least where it could possibly be growing." Inuyasha said, sounding hopeful.

"That's actually a good idea! I mean, seeing how we're close to the place, we should give it a try. At least I _hope_ they might have some useful info for us." Shippo said.

"That makes two of us. Time is of the essence, so we should make haste. Should we not find any leads to the plant, things for us could prove to be twice as difficult as before..." Miroku said, sounding as if he was reluctant to spread any more bad karma to the situation. "As bad as it is, unfortunately we'll have to mentally prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario."

"I sure hope you're wrong about that, Miroku. For Kagome's sake at least." Sango said softly, as the group moved on down the path to the crop fields where Jinenji lived.

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It wasn't long before Inuyasha and his friends found themselves walking up to the small house that stood dormant in the middle of the crop fields, where many herbs were planted by Jinenji, the half demon who was considered inhuman for his unnatural height and size. Just outside of the house, Jinenji could be seen pulling a cart full of fertilizer sacks and shovels. He was hard at work readying the crops for the fall season, and judging from the cold and breezy weather, there was going to be a heavy rainstorm later on.

"Hey, Jinenji! Long time no see!" Inuyasha called out from a distance, waving his hand in the air. Jinenji looked up and saw Inuyasha and waved back in response, smiling. He let go of the cart's handle and stepped up to the arriving group, happy to see them.

"Well, if it isn't Inuyasha. How could I forget the one who has helped prove my innocence to the locals? That is purely an uncanny debt that I owe to you." Jinenji said. Before he had met Inuyasha and Kagome, Jinenji had lived the majority of his life in total fear and discrimination from humans, simply because he shared the blood of a half bred demon and the appearance to further lower the trust of the people who hated him so. But in all of those years, Jinenji has learned time and time again with the guidance of his mother, that the world was filled with the beauty of nature - and that he would only truly find peace if he could find the confidence within himself for who he was on the inside - not on the outside.

Jinenji's appearance was intimidating, for the fact that he had orange skin and was nearly 15 feet tall and had the bulging blue eyes of a fly. But underneath of his muscular and dangerous looking exterior, Jinenji was a kindred yet sad soul with a love for nature and peace. He would never cause harm to even a fly, yet for some his size was easily scared because of the humans that hated him. There were many a night where Jinenji would curl up into the corner of his home while his mother attempted to fend off the intruding villagers, trying to rid the area of the hulking half demon. Jinenji would drown himself in his own tears, wishing infinitely that he was born as a normal human that could live a normal life without being discriminated against for the soul purpose of his existence.

With the nightmare never seeming to end, it had finally disappeared into a void of no return one day when he had met two young people named Kagome and Inuyasha. Much like Jinenji himself, Inuyasha was also a half demon, brave and confident to the core. While Kagome, however, was the first human girl who he could actually converse with. Around her, Jinenji had discovered the long sought after emotion of happiness, which was something he had never experienced before. He was happy because Kagome never showed any signs of fear or disgust. For once, he could be comfortable in his own skin and never worry about being bombarded with hate. From Kagome, he had realized what the fruits of life truly tasted like - and what it was like to enjoy being happy.

And as for Inuyasha, without him, Jinenji would have never gotten the confidence to prove that he could unlock the brevity within himself. One day, a bug demon and her babies were attacking and killing some locals, and the villagers had blamed Jinenji for the murders. However, Inuyasha had found the nest of the bug demon. Soon after the villagers tried to kill Jinenji and his mother in a fit of rage, Inuyasha arrived and helped kill off the baby demons. Jinenji put himself into a struggle with the mother bug, and after a stroke of encouragement from Kagome, Inuyasha, and his mother, Jinenji ended up ripping the demon apart with his bare hands. It was then that it was proven to the villagers that he was innocent, and purely incapable of harming anyone.

After Inuyasha and Kagome left, Jinenji earned the villagers' respect, and it almost seemed as if the world automatically changed. He no longer spent any more nights cowering himself to death, and was not afraid to go outside and breathe the morning air without having rocks or torches being thrown at him. The nightmare had come to an end at last with the chains bound to him broken.

"Eh, think nothing of it. You don't have to owe me anything, so don't worry about it. But we do have some questions we would like to ask you and your mom." Inuyasha said. Jinenji looked down to see an unconscious Kagome on Sango's back, and his face flushed with worry. "Why? What has happened to Kagome? She seems to be deathly sick." Jinenji said, bending down to examine Kagome.

"That is quite the problem, Jinenji. We will explain the whole story once we talk to your mother." Miroku said, motioning to the small house. "I'm afraid it is news you will not like at that."

Just then, Jinenji's mother appeared from the door of the house. The old woman limped over, seeing her son and Inuyasha's group, surprised to see them. "Inuyasha? So, you've come all the way back here? Well, come on in! How is everything lately?" the woman asked. Inuyasha approached her, shaking his head solemnly.

"What? Why you looking so glum? That's a first I didn't expect from you. You're usually looking so tough like you got something stuck up your butt or something." the mother said, raising a frail hand to rub her face. Inuyasha clearly wasn't in the mood for any jokes, as his concern for Kagome grew more and more with each passing minute of the day.

"Hmph... While normally I'd be offended by that, things aren't quite as happy as you'd expect to hear." Inuyasha replied, as the woman ushered him into the house, with Miroku and Sango soon following after.

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"Wow!!! Look at the incredible view from up here! You're so much taller than you seem, Jinenji!" Shippo said, balancing himself on Jinenji's shoulders as he surveyed the fields from a high point view. Kirara was walking alongside Jinenji also, meowing lightly.

"It feels like you're flying, doesn't it? Free as a bird, with no cares in the world." Jinenji smiled, happy to see Shippo laughing, even at a time like this. Meanwhile, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango were inside the small house, having a quiet talk with the mother. Kagome was laying against Sango's shoulders, her arms braced around the school girl.

The mother was sitting on the floor with Inuyasha, sadly staring at the ground with a plate of food in front of her. Inuyasha had just finished explaining the entire ordeal with Kagome, which is something he wish he didn't have to do for the fact that it only made him twice as upset and angrier than before, although he tried to play it off by not being affected by it.

In the end, though, Inuyasha was doing a terrible job of it, as his true feelings kept coming out with every single word he said. What he was truly worried about now, though, was finding a solution to cure Kagome's poisoning, and he wasn't about to give up until he got some results. With Miroku, Sango, and Shippo right behind him, it was the only thing that continued to give him the confidence to keep on going.

"So, you're telling me that Kagome's been poisoned by a demon? And now she only has five days to live? This is... truly shocking, to say the least." the mother said, nearly speechless when Inuyasha delivered the story. Upon hearing something so horrible happening to a sweet young child like Kagome, it immediately caused her to have a loss of an appetite. What little was left of her dinner was now growing cold, as she had much bigger thoughts to contemplate.

"Yeah... that's about the size of it." Inuyasha said in a low voice. "Ever since yesterday, we've been scourging to find some sort of an antidote to the poison, but even the village's doctor couldn't help. We honestly thought we were going to lose Kagome. Until, however, my retainer Myoga had informed of us a certain plant that might actually help us."

"What's that, you say? It doesn't like you're out of luck just yet. Well, spill the beans. Did you find anything more about this plant?" the mother asked.

"That's exactly _why_ we have come here to begin with." Miroku interjected, leaning against the wall nearby with his staff between his crossed arms. "While Inuyasha's retainer had shared in detail about the origins of the plant and its various uses, we have yet to know the actual location as to where it grows."

"And in addition to that, the plant was previously abundant in many places throughout Japan, but as time went on the weather climates decreased its growth. Its now severely rare in very few locations. That's basically the only thing that's stopping us from moving any further than that." Sango added.

"As much as we'd like to find this plant, the only thing we have no clue to as for where it is. So we were just wondering if you know anything about the Ringenkai Plant at all. At least, we hope you might." Inuyasha concluded.

"That's the name, eh? Rin... genkai..... hmm... I can't recall... While I may have been known to come across all sorts of herbs and plants, this 'Ringenkai' thing doesn't seem to ring much of a bell to me." the mother said, scratching her head slowly. Inuyasha and the others began to frown out of disappointment, until suddenly the mother had a jarring memory come to her.

"Wait! The Ringenkai Plant... I may be old enough be the grandmother of all of you combined, but nothing ever beats an elder's memory!" the mother said, sounding energetic. Inuyasha's ears perked up, and he moved closer to the old woman.

"So, don't keep us in suspense! Stop telling us about how much you remember and tell us what you know!" Inuyasha said eagerly. Miroku and Sango were also anxious to know as well.

"Oh, alright, alright! Hold your horses! Gimme a chance to think here! I couldn't familiarize myself with the name at first, but now I think I'm getting somewhere. Many years ago, approximately ten years after I married my demon husband and not too long before I gave birth to Jinenji, there was a time that I've come down with a nasty influenza due from the cold I was overly exposed to while hiking through the forest." the mother said, the memories of the incident happening all coming back to her as clear as day. She imagined herself sick in bed, her young face brazen with red from her fever.

"I was pregnant with Jinenji at the time, so my getting sick really put a spike in my ability to get around. So naturally I had no choice but to stay home and try to ward off the sickness. But this particular type of flu was not your usual, no siree. Before my husband and I had both realized it, I was literally stuck in bed for at least a week and a half straight, feeling as dead as... well, the dead! I didn't think I would ever recover from it, until my husband had set out to look for some herbs to cure me. He also thought that the sickness' symptoms I contracted were highly abnormal, so he made it his duty by any means to save me." the mother said, picturing another scene of her demon husband leaving the house and setting off into the world.

"At first he had felt guilty for leaving me all alone, but even I knew if I were to get better, he would have to try to help me by any means necessary. And he did... after losing all hope, it literally felt that I was going to lose my life to a mere flu, as strange as it sounded. Until one day, after waiting for him for nearly a week, my husband had come back to me holding a special plant in his hands. He soon ground it up and fed me the remains, while telling me that he had discovered the plant somewhere in the mountains, following a long string of directions from a group of travelers he happened to walk upon while up in the northern lands. To think that he had gone for seven days just to save me, had made my heart melt and I was akin to love him even more than I did when I first met him. The plant had done wonders, and had cured my ailments in less than a mere amount of minutes. I had felt twenty years younger, even while pregnant, I felt like a newborn baby ready to take on the trials of the world once again." the mother said, thinking of her husband. She blushed to herself, wishing that he was still with here today. She opened her eyes to see Inuyasha staring at her, as if he was hit by a 2 x 4. He suddenly burst out laughing a little, unable to contain himself.

"Bwaaa ha ha ha ha!!! If the plant could do something like _that_ to make you feel so young, you _definitely_ could use a dose of the plant NOW, looking the way you do!" Inuyasha remarked rudely. The old lady jumped up, shaking her fist at the half demon.

"HEY!!! I'll have you know that with or without some fountain of youth, I'm _still_ up to par even in my late eighties!!!!! Just because I'm old that doesn't mean most men would still find me to be a stone cold fox!" the mother argued back, with spittle flying from her mouth.

__

"The Ringenkai Plant could also cure her being delusional..." Miroku thought, a big sweat drop rolling down the side of his head. Sango shook her head, probably thinking the exact same thing. Inuyasha took a heavy sigh and slapped his knee, annoyed.

"Look, I've had enough of reminiscent romantic love stories from the stone age!!! Would you just PLEASE tell us where the hell we can find this plant so we can move on with our lives? I'm getting a fucking cramp in my ass just sitting here staring at this claustrophobic shanty you call a home." Inuyasha irritably said. The mother was angry and wanted to sock the ungrateful little brat with a eighty year old senior punch, but she decided to let it go. She sat back down and groaned.

"Fine, fine. Alright, I'll tell you what you want to know. But after this I want you out of here! Jinenji and I still have some crops to plant, and you're taking up my time." the mother said returning back to deep thought while holding her hand against her chin. "Now, if I recall correctly, I asked my husband some questions about the Ringenkai Plant, and at most he's told me he had found and taken it from up north, far high up somewhere in the icy cold mountains in the valley of Harunai. But it is a very, very far travel to that place from here. I was quite surprised myself such a plant was able to grow in an area with such freezing temperatures, but I guess you could say that is one of the many wonders of it." the woman said.

"Harunai? Hmm, I've never heard the name before. Nor for the fact that any of us have been anywhere that far in the north lands." said Miroku.

"Well, actually, I _did_ hear of Harunai once, Miroku. From my father, specifically. I remember him telling me once about Harunai valley having a huge mountain range laced with ice caps, and that it has a very cold climate and it constantly snows there as if it were wintertime all around. In the very center of the range lies a place called Mount Harunai, and there have been legends telling of its godly height stretching to that of the heavens. Many travelers tried to climb it, but few survived its harsh weather." Sango said.

"Well, if that's where the last of the Ringenkai Plants still grow, then I'm going to do all I can to get it, for Kagome's sake. I know there's a chance that the plant might not even be there at all, but we all have to take that risk if we're going to save Kagome before the fifth day arrives. And then... once Kagome is healed, that is when I will set out to find Naraku and slay him for good." Inuyasha said, his eyes burning wildly.

"Inuyasha, you're not alone. Don't forget we're all in this together, and by all means, we're going to help out to find this plant. I'm definitely determined to do this task." Sango said, staring sadly down at Kagome.

"I agree as well. All in all, it is perfectly understandable, seeing as you want to save the one you love." Miroku said, his eyes closed.

"WHAT!?" Inuyasha jumped up, blushing. "Say that again, monk! I dare you! I'm not in LOVE with Kagome or anything like that! Its just a mutual way I'm expressing! Hell, wouldn't you do the same goddamned thing if any of US were in danger? What's wrong with some friendly acceptance!?" Inuyasha protested, clenching his teeth. 

"Well, not that I'm getting at anything, but you're certainly bad at masking your true feelings!" Miroku shook his head, laughing while fending off Inuyasha's attacks.

"Ah, I knew it. Young love. Exactly the kind of thing I went through when I was young." the old woman said to herself, smiling a little.

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Meanwhile, in the village that was only a mile away from the house where Inuyasha and his friends were, a small group of men were working hard on the crop fields. One man grunted loudly, swinging a hoe and raking up the dirt from the ground, creating a small hole. One of the other men stopped digging and took a break, wiping his sweaty forehead with a blue cloth. He sighed and looked up at the sky, narrowing his eyes.

"Hey, did you notice that the sun seemed to have went down early today? Its not even anywhere close to the afternoon yet, unless my mind is slipping and we were working out here way longer than we were supposed to." the man said tiredly, leaning on his rake. The first man continued to dig, lifting up a big clump of soil and dirt and heaving it off to the side.

"Heh, that'll actually be a _good_ thing. So don't complain. Take a look at the clouds." the first man nodded upwards. "We haven't gotten a good amount of rain to water the crops in quite some time, leaving us to do all the hard work and pull out the dry plants. To be honest, I'm sick of doing this. I'll welcome the rain gladly if it'll prevent us another week's worth of digging this stuff up. Besides, it'll do us good for the next harvest. Those tomatoes we grow have a mean kick to their taste this time of year."

"I'd hate to burst your bubble there, but I'm not so sure either." a third man said across from them, who was planting tomato seeds with his gloved hands. "I'd have to agree for the fact that its unusually dark for this time of day. We were only out here for six hours since the sun broke out, but I just find it strange that rain could come so early." he said, stopping what he was doing and turning to look at the trees.

Just then, the clouds above had turned into a dark shade of gray, and the sunlight upon the fields had disappeared entirely. Immensely strong gusts of wind had also started to blow, attacking the trees and causing their branches to rustle hard. The winds were so powerful that the branches began to snap right off due to its intensity, and what was once warm weather had transformed into a phantom like chill. A certain gothic like wave immersed itself over the area, and the men that were working had stopped, realizing that something was wrong.

"This is getting even more strange now! This might be leading up to a bad thunderstorm! The winds out here aren't no joke!" one of the men called out, some gardening supplies flying off into the air from the gusts. Just then, a loud painful cry was heard in the distance.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" a man yelled out in the distance, immediately grabbing the attention of everyone else.

"Wh... what was that? Did someone get hurt?" the first man asked. "Come on, let's go! He may need our help!"

The three men all rushed towards the direction of the cry to the very next field, only to find one of the older workers lying dead on the ground in a pool of cold blood, with large streaks of bleeding cuts all over his body. The pupils of his eyes were blank, giving off a deadly stare to the approaching men, and his face frozen in fear.

"What the!? Its Chang! My lord, it looks like he's been brutally slashed to death!" the second man said, his body shaking uncontrollably at the sight. "W... who could have done this to him!? What the devil is going on here!?"

As soon as he finished his sentence, his question was answered by the sudden yells of other men being killed around the fields, their screams joining together in a deadly symphony of overtures. Out of nowhere, the three men were all surrounded in a deep misty fog, no longer able to even see but as little as three feet ahead of them, their visibility drastically decreased.

"Is everyone ok--- AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" the second man screamed out loud, the pure flow of blood being heard splashing down onto the ground.

"Hey!!! Where did all of this fog come from!? What happened to the others!?" the third man said. "Hello!?! Hel---- URKKKKKK!!!!!!!!" the man uttered his last words as he felt a flurry of sharp objects puncture every aorta of his body, killing him instantly. He tumbled onto the dirt ground, drenched in blood and dead to the world before him.

"What the....??? Where is everyone?!?!" the first man called out. Only he was left alive and alone, his fear raising to new heights. His heart was beating far faster than he could count, and every last nerve he had remaining in him were all shot to the point of being so numb he could no longer know what it was like to experience any kind of escape from an inevitable death. While he may have not known what was happening, he no longer cared, for his only thought was to leave the fields.

He screamed in terror as he broke out in a blind run into the fog that encased him, stumbling and almost tripping over the dead bodies of his fellow workers. But he didn't get very far, neither did his cries for help succeed in saving him. Banging his right foot onto the same hoe he was using earlier, he fell face first into the soil, also impaling his stomach onto an upraised pitchfork. "AUGHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

The man's eyes bulged out, as he felt the tongs of the pitchfork rip through his intestines, the blood running down his worn robes. "H... help.... meeeeee....." the man coughed up a considerable amount of blood, nearly choking as he struggled to say those last words. It was then that two figures appeared before him, standing silently still.

The man desperately reached out his hand, thinking that these two people have heard his plea. "He... help!!!"

However, he was only answered back by a soft female laugh. "Ha ha ha!!! My, my, how sad. I'm thoroughly disappointed that the man last standing had been so idiotic enough to be the cause of his own death in a mere panic of confusion. Too bad, though it does save me the guilt of having killed you myself." the woman said, appearing out of the mist. It was Kagura of the Wind, accompanied by the second smaller figure beside her known as Kanna of the Void. Both of the sisters were fully visible from the mist, staring down at the dying man.

"N... no!!! Noooo!!!" the man said weakly, knowing that they might have been the cause of his friends' deaths. He attempted to try to pull himself off of the pitchfork, but it was far too deeply lodged within him, and deep down, he knew it was all pointless in the end. Kagura smirked, holding her white fan to her face. Kanna quietly held her mirror in her hands, the reflective glass glowing vividly as it was absorbing the souls of the dead workers in clusters.

"Poor fool. Put yourself through less pain and make it easier on yourself to accept your death. But do not fear, for your soul is about to move on to a better place... trapped in the confines of darkness forever, serving to our command for eternity. Your fate is sealed." Kanna said with no emotion, tilting the mirror towards the man. Kagura raised her fan and swung it, delivering a last slash of wind that had decapitated the bound man.

"ARRGHHHHH----ACKKKKK!!!" the man's head flew off into the mist, and his body slumped forward against the pitchfork, a nonstop geyser of blood shooting out from his neck. Kagura giggled uncaringly as Kanna played her part by absorbing the blue soul entrail that left the man's dead body into the mirror. Kanna then lowered the mirror to her side, the glass' shine dimming. She stared forward into the white fog, unblinking.

"I have taken the souls of everyone in the fields and the village. The mirror calls for more souls of the suffering... its only satisfaction for power." Kanna said. Kagura rose her hand and waved it through the air, flicking her fan closed. She smiled evilly, not paying too much concern for what her older sister had to say.

"Whatever the case, Kanna." Kagura replied. "It will not be much longer before Inuyasha and his allies come by this place, and by that time, they are in for a rude awakening... as they will surely die at the hands of the undead." Kagura said, both she and Kanna slowly disappearing into the fog clouds. Once again the dead whispering winds Kagura controlled at her own will blew by in a torrential fashion, joining in unison with the outbreak of an adjoining rainstorm.

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The End of Chapter 6.


	7. Smoke and Mirrors

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 7: Smoke and Mirrors

After what seemed like at least a few hours of traveling through the rocky lands, Kouga had finally reached the last stretch of the cliffs and came upon the eastern area, being greeted by clear open ended view of the lake plains below. He had been still searching for any leads that could have pointed to Naraku's castle, but all this time his luck was out dry. It was already close to the afternoon, and the sun was down, showing signs of a starting rainstorm. He knew if he had continued wild goose chase for any longer than this, it would soon be too dark to make any proper traces.

Kouga was somewhat tired at this rate, and part of him wanted to go back to the den in the mountains and rest. Not only that, but his dwelling hunger also began to get to him the more he thought about catching some food to eat. Kouga scratched his left calf with the edge of his right food, sighing in a frustrated manner.

"*Sigh*... Its just not my day, is it? All this time and I haven't found a single thing relating to where Naraku might be hiding, or even a bite to eat. I tend to work at my best on a full stomach at that." Kouga said while taking a few jumps down the jagged platforms of the cliffs, hopping off of each one in succession. "Maybe it was a mistake leaving Hakkaku and Ginta behind before finding any food. But knowing those two idiots, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't find something until AFTER I ran off. They should be so lucky that I don't tear them a new one if that actually happened."

Kouga reached the bottom of the cliff and moved onto the plains area, his feet sunken into the deep green grass that tickled his legs as a few gusts of wind blew through the air. Kouga felt a small chill upon the field, although after taking a quick survey of the place, there was nothing specific in particular that caught his attention.

"Cold as hell around here, but still, nothing I ain't used to. But its strange... even though I don't see anything much of interest, I can't seem to shake this dark feeling I'm getting... wait a second..." Kouga stopped himself, his sensitive nose picking up a light scent. He took a few strides deeper into the fields, looking around him as the scent was growing even stronger.

"I smell something, alright... that sweet sickening smell... and its not only one, but _two_ of them! And I know who it is. It _has_ to be that broad, Kagura! She was around here at one point, alright. Although the scent is not as heavy, its probably been about a couple of hours, so she wasn't here recently. But I know for sure its her, because she has the same scent as Naraku himself." Kouga said, his face twisted into a rage.

"Strangely enough, this second scent I'm picking up is slightly different from Kagura's. I'm not sure who it could be, but its just as bad. If Kagura was lurking around here since yesterday, then the apple didn't fall far from the tree. She's got to be a good amount of miles from here." Kouga said, bending down on his knees. In a moment's notice, he sprang off into a blinding sprint across the fields, his body transforming into a twirling whirlwind. Kouga's wind trails were so sharp and fast that they literally mowed down the blades of grass around him.

"Heh, I'm coming for you... and your blood!" he said, his face forming to show off an evil but collected sneer.

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"Great. Now that we know where the Ringenkai Plant lies to the north, what kind of path should we take on from here?" Inuyasha said with his arms crossed as he and his friends were back on track walking down a dirt path. "The old bag was a massive help in the end, which I was hopeful for."

"Hmm. Well, being aware that getting to Mt. Harunai will take quite a few days to reach, I suggest we make haste. In all of the heated conversation we have to keep in mind that we only have four more days left before the unthinkable happens." Miroku answered.

"Its the only best possible option we have at this moment at that." Sango said, sincerely staring down at the seemingly lifeless Kagome behind her shoulder. Shippo followed up with nothing but a sad sigh from his small lungs.

As the group walked on, Inuyasha happened to draw his eyes up at the sky, and noticed a drastic change before him. He stopped momentarily, with Miroku and the others ceasing also.

"Is there something wrong? Why did you stop?" Sango asked.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, taking note of the dead appearance of the greenery they were about to walk into up ahead. He spotted what seemed like the entrance to a heavy fog a short distance away, and the skies had seemed to transform from a bright blue to an ominous gray. "Its the sky... wasn't it just sunny awhile ago? Nothing seems right around here, either." Inuyasha motioned to the fog.

"Hey, Inuyasha's right! That is weird... and didn't you say before there was another village just down there where the fog is?" Shippo pointed out.

"Yeah... something definitely stinks around here. I can't explain it but a weird vibe just hit me when we came close. And... not only that... if I'm not mistaken I can sense the slight smell of human blood. Its awfully heavy not to be ignored. I say we check it out." Inuyasha said, his muscles becoming tense.

"Then let's go. Chances are it might be another demon attack on the village." Miroku said, as he sprinted off along with Inuyasha. Kirara followed along with her passengers.

Moments later, the group dashed straight into the village, which gave the impression that it was abandoned. Inuyasha automatically took note of the strewn items which consisted of hoes, shovels, and wheelbarrows. Sango had gotten of Kirara while Shippo remained with Kagome, helping Inuyasha and Miroku survey the area.

"I knew it. Nothing is right here at all. Even though nobody's around, these items appear to have been used recently." Inuyasha reported, his nose still continuing to pick up an even more heavier blood scent.

"Its anyone's guess that these things were just dropped in one big great rush to leave. But if this village was evacuated and left for the dogs, then what explains the odd climate change!?" Sango said.

"No, there couldn't have been an evacuation. If Inuyasha knows that blood has been spilled here and we can't see it, this only means the work of a vicious demon." Miroku concluded.

"Not a demon, Miroku... It goes deeper than that. Those same people were brutally killed. Never have I smelled such a thick amount of it either. This sensitive nose doesn't lie. But I can guarantee you it wasn't the work of a demon. As a matter of fact, I think I can even make out a significant fresh scent amongst the blood..." Inuyasha realized.

"Would it even be a perfect time to worry about what's happened? From the looks of things, a big storm is about to break out big time!" Shippo said, as he felt a trickle of water hit his head lightly. "We should hurry and move along before the rain hits."

As soon as Shippo said that, that was when the fog had started to change. The gray clouds above had become even darker to the point of a pitch black sky, and the fog had thinned out to form a purplish mist. The mist was swirling and blowing fiercely upon the crop grounds, nearly pushing Inuyasha and the others backwards.

"Damn! What just happened!?" Inuyasha said, his hand reaching defensively reaching down for the hilt of his Tetsusaiga.

"Its clear that this is obviously another one of Naraku's tricks! He somehow must have found out our location and decided spring a trap on us to catch us off guard." Sango said, reaching for her Hiraikotsu.

"I already don't like the looks of this! Is it just me, or is the fog getting even heavier?!" Shippo said in a frightened tone while swerving his gaze from side to side. The sudden forming thickness of purple mist had made it so that it was harder for Inuyasha and the others to see what was around them, and Sango's senses heightened to a new level upon realizing what was going on.

"No, this isn't any normal fog anymore! I think this might be the poison miasma!" Sango said, immediately taking out and donning her metal face mask to protect her from breathing in the harmful gas. "If there had been any people here then they were most likely already slain by Naraku!" Sango then gasped as she saw the figure of a man stumble out from the miasma, his clothes stained with blood and his face frozen with the look of death.

"What the---!? He's an undead human!" Miroku said, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his robes. Inuyasha took the initiative and ran ahead of Sango, punching the zombified man down hard onto the dirt soil. The punch was so strong that it completely dislocated the man's lower jaw as it the chunk of rotten meat flew off into the distance of the miasma cloud.

"You got that right, and from the gist of things I'd say there's only one person capable of performing this kind of act - Kagura, the Wind Sorceress!" Inuyasha concluded, and as much as he would have guessed correctly, that was the moment Kagura herself had appeared from within the mist. Her exotic beauty could only be immediately ignored by the sheer eerie presence she displayed amongst the purple winds that swirled beneath the flaps of her kimono, her bare feet sinking softly into the dirt.

"Hmm... Well, Inuyasha, it would be so negative of me to have second guessed you. While you and your friends may be well aware of my association with controlling the dead, you still tend to fall as easy prey to my traps. Like a mouse that blindly follows the path to the cheese. Clearly high intelligence isn't required to sense something so obvious to the naked eye." Kagura spoke softly as she raised her fan up to her chin, her skin showing off a pale glow in comparison to the murky fog.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Kagura, but we're no mice. No one was going to fall for the smelly cheese you laid out onto the field. So I take it that you're doing another one of Naraku's filthy orders? I thought I may have smelled a rat earlier when we were camping." Inuyasha said, pointing his clawed finger at the demon maiden a few feet away.

"She was spying on us? No wonder we just happened to run into her of all people, way out here." Shippo said, still shaking a little. Kagura giggled lightly and closed her eyes.

"You fools. It looks like my cover was blown after all. But its no matter. After all, you are right about Naraku. He has personally sent me to gather information on your progression about trying to help that young girl Kagome. Of course he'd see fit to have you all exterminated before you can barely live to see another day past, and he won't step aside to have another one of his plans ruined by the likes of you." Kagura taunted. "My Dance of the Dead would make sure of that!!!" she said as she waved her fan in front of her, summoning an army of undead villagers.

The loud gargling of the undead human shells stumbled toward Inuyasha and his friends in a tight circle, obeying Kagura's immediate command. Many bloody slash marks could be seen on the zombies, red froth bubbling from the open wounds, caused by Kagura.

"Is that so? Well, you know I would hate to be one to disappoint, but you and your master are in for a big surprise. Don't think we're going to just stand here like a bunch of idiots and not fight back against these people you've used your magic to kill!" Inuyasha said with vigor as he drew out his Tetsusaiga, the blade gleaming as the only light in the darkness. 

"You won't get away with killing all of these innocent people, Kagura!" Miroku said, his grasp tight on his staff. The zombies were coming ever so closer, and Shippo and Kirara backed up a few steps. Shippo's forehead turned purple from fright.

"Oh... n...no, guys! H... here they come!" Shippo stammered, still freaked out by the ghoulish appearance of the undead, each and every one of their faces frozen in an "o" of absolute horror and the whites of their eyes shot by the loss of blood from their pupils. However, Inuyasha and the others were unfazed but yet sorrowful for the poor men who they knew that had most likely suffered the most brutal of deaths by Kagura's unexpected attack upon the village.

"This would have been quite difficult had it not been for the assistance of my older sister, Kanna. Having to mercilessly kill these worthless humans is one thing, but having their souls stolen in order to attain their use as mere marionettes is another as you can see." Kagura said as a smaller figure appeared to her side, revealing herself to be the notorious white haired Kanna.

The deadpan expression in Kanna's eyes showed no emotion as to what was going on, as she simply held the soul absorbing mirror against the fabric of her white yukata. The mirror seemed to give off some kind of serene resonance of warmth to Kanna's body. Perhaps it was the sheer everlasting agony of the souls of men she has trapped inside the dimensional void from within the mirror, and if she was calm enough, she could actually hear the endless screaming of the poor tortured spirits. Kanna herself appeared share no sympathies as opposed as to what her master, Naraku had ordered her to carry out. In her mind, she lived only to serve Naraku and nothing more.

"Kanna is here as well! And she has a new mirror, it seems!" Miroku commented feverishly, his eyes darting from the incoming undead to Kagura and Kanna.

"It also appears to be a different looking one from last time at that. I can almost feel its strange power. We'll have to be careful..." Sango warned, gritting her teeth.

"It figures wherever Kagura is, Kanna is right behind her. Well, don't worry. I'm prepared for her little tricks this time around." Inuyasha replied in a low voice.

"Silence, fools. All of your souls will soon have a place in the eternal darkness. It is only a matter of time before Master Naraku will prove himself to be the strongest demon in this land." Kanna breathed, her gaze fixated on Inuyasha's troop.

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga, eager to do battle. "Heh! Not if we can help it! Bring it on, Kagura. If you think we're going to back down because you're naive enough to think your tried and true sorcery has a fair advantage, then go on right head. You're in for a surprise. Better take cover, Shippo! Things are going to get bloody around here." Inuyasha glanced over at the little fox boy.

"Right! You don't have to tell me twice! Come on, Kirara. As much as I'd like to help them, we don't have much of choice but to get Kagome out of harm's reach." Shippo said, and Kirara nodded in response. The large feline took a bountiful leap up onto the roof of one of the stables nearby, clearly out of range from any type of attack.

"Hmph! Those who run away never live to see another day. Rise my puppets of the dead! Attack! Attack them all!" Kagura said, waving her fan and summoning the undead villagers toward Inuyasha and the others.

"Alright! Now that Kagome's safe, let's get this over with!" Inuyasha yelled the moment Kagura issued her orders. With yellow energy lines streaking behind Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango immediately followed right behind the half demon.

"HYAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Inuyasha yelled as he dashed across the field and effortlessly sliced his way past a group of villagers, sending a ocean of rotten blood splashing everywhere as he made his way toward Kagura herself. "Slow, dumb, and just plain ugly! Same old, same old!" Inuyasha jumped forward and attempted to behead some of the undead with his sword. Falling as quickly as they were called to battle, the headless corpses collapsed to the ground as their frothy wounds continued to bubble unanimously.

Miroku and Sango intercepted the remaining amount of the undead in front of them, with the young monk making the first move by swinging his staff in an arc and cleanly slicing through the torsos of five approaching zombies, their rotting upper halves splattering to the dirt with a sickening plop. "That's five down!" Miroku said.

At the same time Sango spun her chain blade above her head like a lasso for a few moments before letting it loose, the sharp edge of the blade hooking itself into the shoulder blade of one of the undead men. Sango used all of her strength to spin the fragile body directly into the attacking zombie group behind her, toppling the brainless fools hard like pins. "And about seven more to add to that!" Sango chimed in.

"Don't think that you can celebrate just yet! I have yet to concur to any type of defeat!" Kagura hissed. At the flick of her fan, she sent a wave of a wind across the field, its magic affecting the dead bodies littered along it. "Revive!!!"

Upon Kagura's direct command, the previously fallen villagers had arose in no less than five seconds as their detached limbs were reassembled like a mixture of dark red clay. The frothing of the villager's open wounds seemed as if their bubbles had a life of their own, and internal organs abound had dangled out from their abdomens like squiggling worms. The rotten smell their bodies gave off alone was enough to cause a sickening impurity throughout the heavy air of the fields.

"What the?! Oh no, not again! Watch out, guys! It looks like they've gotten a second wind - and a second slaughtering to go along with it." Inuyasha smirked, as he gathered a good amount of power inside the Tetsusaiga and swung it, sending forth a burst of energy towards the newly revived undead and creating a large crater blown into the ground.

"Leave this pack to me! Sango, follow up on my word!" Miroku said as he quickly fished out a talisman from beneath his robes and slung it through the air while saying a chant aloud. As he finished the chant, the talisman had stopped itself in mid-air just a foot away from the zombies. The small paper itself had suddenly lit aglow with a sparkling yellowish energy as Miroku created a spell binding circle, stopping each and every undead in its tracks. "Now, Sango! While they're still immobilized!" the monk called out.

"Right, I'm on it! _HIRAIKOTSU!!!!_" Sango yelled, jumping up and swinging the massive weapon in an wide arc, decapitating all fifteen of the undead villagers that were trapped in Miroku's spell. Each and every headless corpse crumpled before the two heroes drenched in an ocean of red liquid. "That's one way to take care of things when the odds are against us!" Sango sighed.

"We can't let our guard down, not even for a moment. Especially when facing Kagura. Don't let up on attacking!" Miroku said.

"Ha ha ha ha!!!" Kagura laughed. "Haven't you learned by now? No matter how many times you slay my puppets, I can just as easily revive them in an instant!" Kagura waved her fan again, sending a mystical wind upon the mutilated bodies. The wave's own power had resurrected the empty human shells once again, each one of the men slowly rising to their feet and uttering dry heaves of violent hunger.

"Damn it, just like the last time! We don't have the time to deal with these things, or else they're going to just keep coming at us! If we plan on getting out of this deathtrap alive, its best that we get to the source of it all right here and now! Nnngh!!!" Inuyasha groaned, swerving out to safety from an attack swipe from a villager that had a pitchfork shoved through his chest. His head appeared to have been once severed, probably before being killed and zombified earlier, with dark copious amounts of blood seamlessly dripping down from the cut on his neck.

Before Inuyasha could react, Sango's chain blade plunged into the back of the zombie's cranium from behind. Soon enough, Miroku and Sango caught up to the half demon.

"Thanks for watching my back, guys. Listen, we can't afford to keep killing these guys are else Kagura is just going to keep bringing them back to life. While she may be trying to maintain her distance from us, one of us will have to try to get to her as soon as possible." Inuyasha whispered to his friends, as he saw Kagura's body tensing as if she was preparing to attack. "Miroku, let's directly attack Kagura! Sango, try to keep those dead villagers at bay. We won't get very far if we don't finish this fight before things get worse than this."

"Right, no problem!" Sango agreed, taking off to another group of enemies to use her Hiraikotsu against them. Inuyasha and Miroku immediately rushed at Kagura, harshly knocking any zombies that dared to step into their path. However, Kagura had put herself on the defensive as she saw the two heroes coming straight at her.

"Hmph. When will they ever realize attacking me head on constantly leads to the gravest of mistakes? Oh well. Time to show them the power of my winds!" Kagura smirked, hopping back and whipping her large fan to create several sharp blades of wind. The slashes cut through the air like a hot knife through butter, nearly hitting Inuyasha and Miroku with amazing and forceful precision.

"This is tougher than we anticipated. No matter how we go about it Kagura's winds cover too much of a width for us to get vaguely close to her! There's has to be another way we can get near somehow!" Miroku said, as both he and Inuyasha struggled against the heavy pressure of the wind.

"Nnnghhh, that'll be impossible to do with Kagura constantly putting on heat like this! I'm just going to have to use the Wind Scar attack. Its the only way I stand of chance of nailing Kagura dead on!!!" Inuyasha said while blocking the oncoming wind blades with his Tetsusaiga. "In the meantime you'd better cover me while I try to take the lead!"

"I'll back you up the best way that I can, now go!" Miroku yelled, signaling for Inuyasha to make a fast dash forward.

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"Good. Kagura can't keep this up forever... While its easy in theory to pull off the Wind Scar attack, the only problem is finding an opening to hitting Kagura with it! Because of her sorcery, Kagura is able to protect herself with the surrounding wind. Just like the last time I fought her, I was barely able to render the Wind Scar effective. I'd just have to play it safe and attempt to strike her from up close and figure out a way to blast her into oblivion... for good!" Inuyasha thought to himself, knowing that what he was about to do was a risk. But he was ready to end this charade, and placed all of his doubt behind him.

"Inuyasha, your intelligence is becoming less and less respectable! If you're even considering trying to hit me with your Tetsusaiga's special attack, your own luck is hard pressed against you! Of course, the same can be said for watching your friends' backs..." Kagura said, flinging her fan a few times. She created five new wind blades, ten times bigger than the original ones that Inuyasha and Miroku evaded. Inuyasha stood in place and put all of his concentration into making this one special attack. His eyes widened as he realized that for a brief moment but if only for a few seconds, this was an open window of opportunity presented to him.

__

"Wait! That's it! The moment she created the blades, the wind around her disappeared! I can see her energy colliding with my own... the moment I destroy these blades, I can snag Kagura with one mighty blast of power!!!" Inuyasha paused he saw Kagura's energy flickering against his, the glowing white light appearing between them making a fissure where he knew he had to aim. 

But unfortunately, Kagura laughed evilly as she used her power to divert the five large blades away from Inuyasha, and instead, catching the half demon off caught and having them rush straight towards Miroku.

"What the!? MIROKU! WATCH OUT! THE BLADES!!!" Inuyasha yelled, as he turned to see that Miroku was in immediate danger.

"Damn it!!! Another trick!" Miroku uttered, knowing that he was unable to dodge out of the way at the last minute. Instead, his sharp wit lead him to a saving grace by releasing the rosary around his right hand. "WIND TUNNEL!!!" Miroku shouted, the mystical hole on his palm creating an immense wind to suck up the five blades that threatened to injure him.

However, this action only made things go fast from bad to worse as a swarm of Naraku's Saimyoushou insects appeared out of hiding from the forest. Miroku's eyes widened the moment he saw the insects make their way for the Wind Tunnel. "Oh no!!! Naraku's poison insects! I can't let them go into the hole!!!" Miroku said, reaching for his rosary, but everything happened within too fast of a flash. Some of the insects had already eagerly made their way into the tunnel, being sucked up into the black abyss forever but their goals were already achieved.

"Ahhhhh!!!!! No!!!! Its too late! I couldn't prevent them from getting to me in time... Uhhhh...." the monk had already started to feel the Saimyoushou's poison shoot its way through his arm and nearly onto his entire body. Miroku tightened the rosary beads around his hand with what little strength he had left in him. The poisonous matter that stemmed inside the Wind Tunnel's now sealed void had caused him to drop his staff and tumble onto one knee.

"Miroku!!! Hold on, I'm coming! Hyyyaaahhhh!!!" Sango slaughtered the remaining amount of the undead, then sprinted over to Miroku. She lifted him up by the arm to help him stand up. "Are you okay? Don't try to move!" Sango said with concern in her voice.

"No, don't worry... while only a small amount of the insects was sucked up by my tunnel, it won't be life threatening. Nnnghh... I wasn't expecting this to happen, but I don't think I'll be able to be of any further use during the rest of this fight... Uhhh..." Miroku groaned with beads of sweat rolling down the side of his head.

Inuyasha was enraged at this point, turning back to face Kagura. "You've got some nerve playing dirty games like this, Kagura! Being an extension of Naraku's certainly doesn't falter in making you so similar in terms of tact. The only thing that sickens me is that you both share one trait in common, and that's just a big crock of cowardice. Hurting my friends is one of the many worst actions you could do to solely piss me off - and you wouldn't like having to deal with a pissed off demon, would you?!"

"Ha ha ha ha! All talk and no play, Inuyasha. I do what I can to rid of my appointed enemies, even by the foulest of trickery. Mercy should only be saved for the weak. However, I wouldn't be so fast in comparing me to Master Naraku, as I am nothing like him. One day I shall be free of his torturous captivity where I can live a life of my own... for now I am only here to do his bidding. You are the only person in my way from seeing that dream of freedom. I shall... make it come true soon!" Kagura said, her nerve clearly being struck by Inuyasha's accusing words.

Meanwhile during the heat of the action, Shippo and Kirara were still watching from above, unsure of what exactly to do. Kagome's body lay slumped on Kirara's back, the girl breathing slowly but softly.

"Oh no, Miroku is down! Kagura must have had this all planned... she must have known if she tricked Inuyasha with her wind attacks, she could somehow get Miroku to open his Wind Tunnel so the insects could make their way inside it!" Shippo clenched his little fist. "Kirara, what are we going to do? We can't go into battle because we can't leave Kagome behind, and..." Shippo's voice trailed off as something caught his eye from the roof of the stable. He saw the figure of Kanna appear from the purple mist, and she was approaching directly from behind Sango and Miroku.

"Hey! Its Kanna! I was so into worrying about Kagura at the time, I completely forgot about her. She must have concealed herself in the miasma while Inuyasha and the others were fighting those people. She... she might be trying to do a sneak attack from behind!" Shippo exclaimed. "We have to stop her Kirara! Or else she might use that creepy mirror on our friends!"

Kirara jumped off of the stable and carried both Shippo and Kagome along with her, barreling straight for Kanna. At this time, Miroku and Sango were unaware of Kanna behind them, as they were distracted keeping their eye on Kagura. Shippo cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at the top of his lungs to his two friends.

"HEY, GUYS!!! LOOK OUT! KANNA IS BEHIND YOU!!!" Shippo yelled, catching Sango and Miroku's attention.

"What!? Oh no!!!" Sango said, turning to see Kanna standing right there as her mirror was glowing with a ferocious kind of power.

"We have to stop her before she... Nnnghh!!!" Miroku tried to stand up because he knew that Kanna had caught them off guard, but he felt the poison seeping through his right side, causing him not to move any more steps further. Kanna in return could only lighten her eyes at the heroes' disposition.

"It is far too late for you both. Now your souls are all mine!" Kanna taunted. She then held her mirror out and used it to shoot forth a blue stream of energy, zapping the spiritual energy directly from both Sango and Miroku. 

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Sango and Miroku cried out in unison, their bodies surrounded in the haze of energy. They both began to twitch involuntarily as they fell victim to Kanna's surprise attack. Sango tried to resist the overwhelming power and lifted her weapon to try and knock the mirror out of Kanna's hands. But having her soul drained from her body proved too much to bear as she dropped her Hiraikotsu and collapsed to the ground.

"NO!!! Sango! Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled upon seeing his friends in danger. 

"Rule number one, Inuyasha. Never take your eyes off of your enemy..." Kagura whispered. This distraction gave her the chance to hit Inuyasha with one final triple wind slash from her fan, knocking the half demon great distance right into Kanna's path.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha cried, the Tetsusaiga falling from his hand and hitting the ground. The three wind blades sliced directly into Inuyasha's chest and arms, a violent eruption of blood flying out from his wounds. He landed straight into the field where Sango and Miroku lay, and Kanna took the initiative by sucking his soul as well.

"Ackkkkkk!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!! C... can't.... move!!!" Inuyasha uttered, half of a bloody mess on the dirt ground next to his friends as he felt the painful sensation of his soul being taken right out of his shell and causing him to weaken a great deal. He too struggled just as much to break free from the impending constraint of Kanna's mirror but it was only a manner of seconds before his body went limp. "K... ago... me... I'm... sor.. ry..." whispered Inuyasha just before he fainted.

"INUYASHA!!!" Shippo yelled, jumping onto the scene on Kirara's back. "Kirara, ram right into Kanna!!! We can't let their souls get sucked up by that mirror!" the fox boy sad angrily. But he was too late as well, as Kanna whisked around and stole Shippo and Kirara's soul energy in an instant. 

"Noooooooo!!!!!" Shippo flew back and crashed into a wheelbarrow, and Kirara was weakened to the point where she transformed into her smaller self. Kagome's body slammed onto the field and rolled over into the purplish mist unseen. "I... I can't... move..." said a weak Shippo, his eyes drifting shut.

"Sleep. Do not fight back, but sleep. Your soul is exhausted in this world but will prove to be as of use in the next..." Kanna remained stationary with the same emotionless expression on her face, channeling the last of her power into the mirror as she moved on to collect the last remnants of the spiritual energy from Inuyasha and his allies. Sango and Inuyasha still showed signs of trying to resist a little, but they were no match for the mirror.

Kagura smiled to herself, taking long strides to her older sister unable to thoroughly appreciate the fact that they have defeated their enemies. But she dismissed her doubt because this meant she was only one step closer to winning her freedom from Naraku's clutches. Having no choice to be enslaved by a demon with no remorse for none other than his own self for this long has sickened her to the contemplation of escaping into the vast world she was born into. But alas, had she dared to take upon such an action she knew Naraku would only get back at her by destroying her external heart. Kagura wouldn't have lived in this world as long as the amount of time she was created. She cleared her mind as she appeared to Kanna's side.

"Well done, Kanna. Inuyasha is defeated, and this only means the final curtain is about to be drawn upon him and his good for nothing friends..." Kagura raised her fan above Inuyasha's twitching body, preparing to kill him. But something caused her and Kanna to freeze as she felt a slight pang of a powerful energy moving towards her at a fast pace.

"What...!? Who is---- Ahhh!!!!" Kagura's words were cut off as a windy tornado blazed onto the scene. The dark miasma and flying debris had caused a bit of utter confusion, and a slim figure could be seen leaping through the air past Kagura and towards Kanna. Kanna gasped and her eyes widened only about three inches as the figure performed a powerful kick, knocking the mirror out of the pale faced girl's hands and sending it into the distance. The interruption of the mirror's soul absorption had saved Inuyasha and the others as they felt their soul essences return to their respective bodies.

"Wha... what happened!? My... energy seems to have come back!" Inuyasha said, opening his eyes. He slowly lifted himself up onto one knee, the blurriness of his vision clearing as he tried to make out what was going on. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara had also recovered their strength if not a little disoriented. "Guys, are you alright?" Inuyasha asked his friends. Miroku and Sango shook their heads and Shippo's eyes swirled in circles. Kirara roared, transforming back to her larger form.

"Yes... but what caused our souls to return to us? One moment I could barely move and the next moment..." Sango trailed off.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Sango... whatever is going on its doing us a whole lot of good." Inuyasha said, reaching for his Tetsusaiga. But the moment he picked it up and raised his eyes to see who had saved them, his gratitude had changed into total disgust. "On second thought, forget what I just said. I spoke way too soon."

"Well if it isn't Kouga. Who would have guessed that he, of all people, would have come here to risk saving our lives. I'm quite surprised..." Miroku said with a raised eyebrow.

"You mean to hog all of the action and act like a smartass." Inuyasha said, as he and the others stood up. Kouga stood with his arms crossed prominently amidst the fog, his full presence revealed to everyone. He smirked at Inuyasha and the gang, giving a tidy little salute.

"Hey, guys. What's up? I just happened to be in the neighborhood and was seeking some action. I figured I might as well drop in, do my part and give the losing side a helping hand." Kouga greeted.

Kagura raised herself up from the ground, her mouth twisted into a nasty scowl. Dirt had caked Kanna's yukata, but she made no effort to brush it off. She silently stood next to her younger sister, blankly watching the upcoming banter commence.

"So, the leader of the wolf tribe has arrived to save the day. Not only you have ruined my plans, but I will have you know now that you're here... I won't allow you leave this place alive. You only dug yourself an additional grave to join Inuyasha and the others in by bringing your putrid aura here." Kagura mocked, closing her fan shut.

Kouga turned to face Kagura and Kanna, grinding his teeth in complete anger. "You're one to call me putrid, you twisted broad. I was right after all in sensing that you were here. It didn't take much for me to sniff out your scent, being it so similar to Naraku's and just as disturbing. You may have escaped from me the last time but don't count on disappearing to safety." Kouga said, an invisible fire brimming within his eyes.

"Oh, really? And why is that? Surely you can't prove yourself to be any stronger than the weak and pathetic fools that currently stand behind you?" Kagura asked, a soft giggle escaping her smooth lips.

"Why? I'll tell you why! Because tonight, Kagura, you die!!!!!" Kouga said, clenching his fists as many entrails of wind swirled around his feet. The winds only added to the calm before the storm, as Kouga's anger rose to the maximum with the thoughts upon finally taking his revenge on the woman he despised so much. The dead smoke of the miasma was cleared and the mirrors of trickery were disabled, leading to the final hurrah of an already heated battle.

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The End of Chapter 7.


	8. The Rescuer in Wolf's Clothing

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 8: The Rescuer in Wolf's Clothing

Kagura's plan had come to an unexpected screeching halt, and she didn't like one bit of the situation at all. Time and time again she felt the heavenly dream that was freedom slip right out of her soft malevolent hands thanks to fate conspiring against her every move. She was trapped with no place to turn yet she continued to suffer living with the smaller glitter of hope that one day she would be able to live the normal life of a woman. A woman that was a demon underneath, but a woman still nevertheless.

And here she was, facing her latest opponent who had literally came storming in to save Inuyasha and his friends from certain doom. Kouga, the leader of the wolf demon tribe, stood poised before her as if he was about to prey on a lost little fawn in the woods looking for its mother. But Kagura didn't know the meaning of fear as she felt that things were still in the green for her. She rose to her feet while clenching her fan tightly, ready in a minute to attack her enemies as if they so much as moved an inch of a muscle.

Kagura's eyes shifted momentarily to her older sister, who remained still at her left. Kanna's eyes were narrowed and she appeared to be upset, her pale hands balled into fists at her sides. But evidently she showed no signs of anything else. Kagura's attention returned to Kouga.

"So Kouga, I see that you're blinded with rage as usual. That's to be expected of you, the typical personality of low class demon rubbish. Needless to say it disgusts me to know that I haven't had the time to make room for a seventh grave. But if you want to join your little acquaintances in death that badly, then I believe that I'm more than willing to do just that." Kagura said softly, her bravery unfazed by the sudden appearance of the young leader.

"Hmph. Talk all you want, Kagura. Anything and everything that comes out of your mouth is just a bunch of nonsense I don't really care for. Either way this day will be ending with me claiming your bloody head to hang up on my cave walls for my fellow pack to feast on when they're feeling hungry." Kouga remarked, cracking his knuckles loudly as the wind blew his pony tailed past his face. The rich black hair tickled his right cheek without abandon, and his eyes continued to be brazen with the mixed emotions of frustration and anger toward the woman who stood in his path.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and the others looked on at the small banter between Kouga and Kagura. Miroku slowly felt some of his energy returning to his body as the Saimyoushou's poison that circled through his arms and partially his body was wearing thin. He knew if he had accidentally absorbed more of the insects than he originally did, he would probably have had another fearful brush with death.

"Miroku, can you still move?" Sango asked, her own energy back to full strength because of her soul being returned to her body earlier. She helped the monk up again, her brown eyes filled with deep concern.

"Yes, I'm fine for now. Thanks, Sango. The poison is still inside me but its nothing threatening. Had I drawn my rosary much later than my fate would be a most fatal one." Miroku tiredly breathed, as he walked over to Inuyasha's side. Shippo and Kirara soon joined with them, with poor Kagome still slung over the feline's back.

"Shippo! Kirara! Are you alright too?" Sango turned to her other friends, bending down to pet Kirara's furry head. Kirara growled lightly in response, and Shippo was rubbing his head and back.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But... what just happened!? I thought we were nearly about to have our souls taken away from us, so why are we still alive?" Shippo said, until he looked up and saw what was going on. His eyes bugged out in response and his arms began to flail all about. "Whoa!!! Kouga!? What's HE doing here!? Did he come to help us fight Kagura?"

"Whatever your interpretation is, that's about the size of it. Although knowing this joker he's just come to play the fake hero he is just to gain some credibility. Who asked him to come here, anyway? This was my fight until he arrived." Inuyasha answered, clearly upset.

"Inuyasha, he just saved all of our lives. Whether it was intentional or not, this is one time we should be grateful that he came over here at the right time. You can't go on and not admit that we were all on the losing end just a few minutes ago." inputted Sango. All Inuyasha could do was respond with a low growl.

"Who gives a damn about who saved who? I'm not going to stand around and let Kouga take center stage. A fight is still a fight, and I'm going to finish it, I'll tell you that much." Inuyasha leapt off to where Kouga and Kagura were. Sango shook her head for the dog demon's misguided denial.

"Try to negotiate with stubbornness..." Sango stopped herself when she looked over and took note that while Kagura and Kouga were talking, Kanna had used the distraction to back her way towards a small glint of light a few feet away.

"Wait a second, what is Kanna doing? Oh no!" Sango gasped, her eyes widened. "She's going after the mirror Kouga kicked out of her hands! We can't let her recover it!"

"What!? We have to stop her! We can't let Kanna use the mirror on us again, or else we'd be all finished!" Miroku said, about to make a dash for it. But instead Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu and went ahead of him.

"_HIRAIKOTSU! HAAAA!!!_" Sango yelled, chucking the weapon into the air. The Hiraikotsu swerved through at a wide 180 degree angle as it cut right past Kanna. Kanna's mouth opened in an o of surprise as she witnessed the Hiraikotsu slam hard into her mirror, shattering it to hundreds of glass and metal pieces.

Kanna tumbled to the ground, her face reverting back to containing no human emotion. She breathed softly as she watched her mirror lay in the barren grass broken into a field of reflective shining glass. "The mirror... has been destroyed." she said aloud, watching the transparent streams of the villager's souls she had taken much earlier after Kagura had killed them. Since the bodies of the villagers were annihilated beyond recognition, the souls officially had no place to return to, floating upwards into the lightly miasma filled sky.

Meanwhile, Kouga and Kagura started to fight, with the wolf demon dashing at an incredible speed directly at his target. Large trails of dust kicked up at the back of Kouga's feet, marking deep skids on the soil as he ran by.

"_Ryaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!_" Kouga yelled fiercely, being the first to throw an utmost powerful punch at Kagura. However, Kagura swiveled out the way with the grace of a white swan's song, narrowly avoiding the attack at the last possible second. The result of Kouga's miss ended up creating a large tremor quake on the ground, as his fist created a mini dirt explosion. The aftershocks of the tremor extended their reach and barreled at Kagura.

"Oh, you're fast. I'll grant you that, but you're no match for my deadly winds! _Haaaaa!!!!_" The aftershocks were also just as easily evaded by Kagura, with her returning the favor by waving her fan and throwing three wind blades. Kouga saw the blades coming in from his left, and quickly performed a double back flip out of harm's way as the blades cut down a few trees.

"Hraaaaaaahhhhh!!!" Kouga groaned with might, bouncing off of the trunk of another tree and diving right back at Kagura with his fist extended. His dive was so fast that the downforce of the wind that passed by his body created some sort of a tornado around his entire fist, then moving on to encircle his entire body. It almost seemed as if his rage increased the strength of his attacks, but it wasn't nearly enough to catch Kagura with a direct hit.

"Is that all the power you possess? Come now, I expected more out of you, Kouga. But if you're going to market nothing but ignorance behind all of that anger as a front, then why bother rushing to your death? Oh well. It will only make it the more sweeter to see the delicious sight of your body being torn to little pieces by the razor sharp winds I can create." Kagura mocked, moving out of Kouga's path again as he flew by with the speed of a torpedo.

"_Shit! I can't believe I missed such a clear shot! Who could have guessed that bitch could have been any more skilled in combat as the same level as Naraku?_" Kouga thought, grinding his teeth. He bombed himself onto the ground sending up another huge wave of debris, skidding into a crouch and instantly spinning around to reface Kagura.

Kouga ran at her again, this time using his speed to transform his whole body into a spinning tornado. Kouga himself was barely a blur as the high velocity of the winds coiled around him like a snake. The torrential hazard was moving to the demon maiden without mercy, and Kagura smirked to herself in a conceited fashion, unfettered by the oncoming danger.

"Still you come at me with the same tactics. Have you learned nothing as of yet? Well this will be the last mistake you will ever make!" Kagura swung her fan five times in succession, creating yet another group of wind blades which shot straight for Kouga

"I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT, WENCH!!!" Kouga yelled, slamming into the first blade and deflecting it the side and destroying a house. The second and third blades however, were successfully blocked and deflected but it slowed Kouga down as the last two blades came at him too fast. Kouga countered it by ducking down and sliding right between the blades, still maintaining his tornado form.

"Hmm, predictable to the last movement! You're nothing but a ridiculous joke!" Kagura laughed, jumping far off to the right for another evasion. Kouga's heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized that he missed Kagura again.

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"BLAST IT!!! _I can't attack her dead-on no matter what! She'd have to be somehow diverted long enough for me to make an attack on her without her predicting every single one of my moves!!! Useless..."_ Kouga thought, cursing silently to himself. However, a raised eyebrow was apparent on the young wolf's face as he saw a projectile head straight at Kagura from behind while she was still in the air.

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"BLADES OF BLOOD!!!" Inuyasha yelled. Kouga's point of view switched to Inuyasha standing there, a small bloody open wound appearing on the right side of his chest. Inuyasha's hand was drenched with his own blood, as he used to it send sharp blades of the red liquid at Kagura.

"What!?" Kagura said, slowly turning around as she saw Inuyasha's Blades of Blood crash directly into her shoulder and arm, violently slashing her. "AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Kagura yelled in pain. A ripping sound accompanied by the gushing of blood could be heard as Kagura plummeted backwards onto the ground, and the top left half of her kimono was severely cut apart. Fresh demon blood rained down her side like the moderate trickle of a river, and her breathing was dying to catch back up to its normal rhythm.

Inuyasha stood his ground, his wound not affecting his ability to fight. He held his Tetsusaiga defensively, walking out into the middle of the field.

"What was that about turning your back on your enemy, Kagura? You should have watched what you were doing when you made the grave error of trying to deal with this poor excuse for a sheep in wolf's clothing. If you hadn't been so cocky and confident in your abilities, you probably wouldn't be on the ground looking as pitiful as you do right now." Inuyasha commented, wearing a dead serious expression on his face.

"Uhhh.... Nnnghhh.... Damn you....." Kagura said, squinting while trying to stand up. "Who would have... thought that you'd be the one to hit me from behind. How admittedly clever of you..." Kagura said in a very low voice.

Kouga landed right beside Inuyasha, a scratching noise made from the gravel he skid on. "Hey, I had it, okay? I didn't even ask for your help, you stupid dog shit!" Kouga said angrily, his blue eyes flashing. Inuyasha sniffed softly, glaring right back at Kouga in the eye.

"You're one to talk, fuckhead. Why don't you do us a favor, run back to the filthy piece of crap you call a home and back the hell off. It was US who were doing just fine before you showed up. Why brag about how high and mighty you are when you can't even stand a decent chance in a fight? Try using your brain more during a fight instead of acting like an ass, you might actually _win_ a battle for once in your life." Inuyasha shot back.

"Listen, the only reason why I even came here was because I happened to be searching for Naraku this whole time out in the wilderness. And who do I find? I found the sickening scent of Kagura leading way out to this very spot. I refused to rest until I extracted my revenge on the broad for what she did to my brothers." Kouga replied, dusting off his armor.

"Hmph. What well thought out logic." Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"Not only that..." Kouga continued. "After picking up on you and the others' scents, I wanted to see Kagome. You've been taking care of my woman, right? You better have or else I'll be dealing with you soon after I finish killing Kagura."

"What the hell!?" Inuyasha said, a sweat drop rolling down his forehead. "For your fucking information, dumbass, Kagome is NOT your woman. First of all she wouldn't even come close to being insane enough to even CONSIDER having eyes for your mangy wolf behind. While she's not around to tell you that herself, I'll be glad to take you on after this fight. Although obviously the ending result will be quite different with _me_ killing _you_ instead." Inuyasha said in a pissed off tone.

"What!? What the hell do you mean? Not around!?" Kouga said, confused.

"Just shut the hell up and stand aside while I defeat Kagura. I don't have time to explain first grade English to you." Inuyasha said, turning back to the task at hand.

"Heh! Same to you, mutt face!" Kouga replied, drawing himself back to Kagura as well.

Meanwhile, Miroku and the others were watching along, unsure of the outcome.

"I know while Inuyasha and Kouga seem to still have this rivalry thing going on, especially over Kagome, but if they start fighting at a time like this then they both could get hurt! Kagura isn't actually down for the count just yet, you know!" Shippo said worriedly.

"If they continue to fight like this then it will simply distract them from concentrating on the greater importance which is the battle itself. If things get too out of hand then we're going to have to assist Inuyasha." Miroku said, gripping his staff.

"Placing two hotheaded and arrogant demons in the same boat is bound to have its problems, but we don't want the worst to happen at this rate. Kouga could barely hit Kagura himself, but if he and Inuyasha both work together then they stand an excellent chance. Kanna won't pose much of a problem without her mirror at that." Sango said, her eyes drifting over to Kanna who still remained in the same spot, motionless as time itself.

Inuyasha and Kouga stood side by side, tense as Kagura pulled herself off from the ground. She held her still bleeding wound with one hand, and her fan grasped in another. Despite the odds being against her at this point, she remained steadfast and strong, refusing to falter.

"Heh heh heh!!!" Kagura giggled.

"What the hell is so funny?" Inuyasha asked enraged. "Got a bad case of the giggles or something? Because I'm downright awfully sick of it."

"My laughter... is only associated with the fact that the both of you are acting like spoiled little children. And children shouldn't be so brash as to fight over their toys. That will only lead to your downfall." Kagura said softly. "While its a major setback that Kanna's mirror is now broken, nevertheless I will defeat you regardless of what Naraku originally ordered me to do."

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"Regardless of what he ordered her to do? Does this mean Kagura had something else up her sleeve when we first came here instead of aiming to take our lives?! Other than the sacred jewel shards we have..." Inuyasha wondered in his mind.

Kagura raised her fan and waved it downward to the ground, causing a simple wave to scatter across the entire width of the field. "My Dance of the Dead will be the beginning of the end to this grand finale." Kagura said, watching the mystic wind automatically resurrect all of the dead villagers. The rotting corpses of the men and women all slowly rose up, their bodies reanimated and poised to attack. Kagura forced the undead on Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara.

"Arghhhh!!! Here we go AGAIN!" Shippo said out of annoyance. Miroku and Sango stood back to back, while Kirara and Shippo held their protective ground for the unconscious Kagome.

"I've quite had it with Kagura's games myself, but if we want to survive then we're left to do some serious hack and slash this time around." said Miroku.

"Inuyasha! Kouga! Handle Kagura! We'll take care of the undead!" Sango called out, as she rolled forward and used her sword to decapitate a few of the stumbling zombies. Miroku spun his staff in an arc and cut a number of the pursuers in half, while Shippo used his spinning top and Fox Fire to take care of the enemies on his end. Kirara rammed into any of the undead that threatened to harm Kagome.

"Don't worry, I've got it covered! Be careful!" Inuyasha responded back.

"Enough of this, let's finish this fight now!" Kouga said, storming off towards Kagura.

"Hmph. So be it. I don't mind having a little bit more fun with you two while I draw the last curtain upon this stage of bloodshed. Haaaaaa!!!!" Kagura switched her fan to her other hand and started a multitude of furious wind slash attacks at her enemies, covering the entire field with a seemingly impassable force. Kouga's speed however, was a qualified match no matter how much Kagura could throw at him.

"I know your pattern now, but I'll guarantee you won't be catching me on the wrong end this time!" Kouga said, mixing up his dashes by zooming from left to right. Thanks to this new method he managed to avoid every single one of the blades that Kagura had created. Taking bountiful leaps in between, Kagura took one last huge jump just before one of the blades hit him. Kagura backed up in surprise at Kouga's amazing ferocity.

"What?!?! I can't believe that he's moving twice as fast this time around..." Kagura said, with energy lines zooming past her out of astonishment.

"I got you this time!!! HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" Kouga yelled, as he did a spinning kick directly into the side of Kagura's face, sending her flying hard directly into the open doors of a nearby house. Her body crashed through at least three walls before she lay finally still. The left side of Kagura's face consisted of a nasty gash with blood caked all over it. Half of her kimono was ripped off near the back, revealing the grotesque spider scar etched onto her back. The same scar that Naraku himself had also shared.

"Ughhhh.... This... is not over yet!!!" Kagura moaned, not letting her fatigue getting the best of her. Her second wind came in as she burst forth with a blast of wind from her fan, making a dramatic explosion from the house directly back at Kouga.

Inuyasha barreled in from behind Kouga, moving close to the wolf demon's speed. "I won't even think to let you get all of the credit for winning this one. Didn't I tell you to back off earlier!? What are you, deaf!?" Inuyasha argued in mid-air.

"Don't know what you're talking about, mutt face! I'm not attempting to win a contest to see who's more popular! Gyahhhhhhh!!! Heads up!!!" Kouga said at a fast pace, dodging Kagura's fan swipe the moment she emerged from the house. While Kouga was unscathed, unfortunately Inuyasha hadn't seen it coming and was struck by the blow in the arm. The wind blade shot up into the air and carried Inuyasha along with it.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha cried out, landing on his feet and breaking his fall. "Shit, thanks to Kouga's constant jumping all over the place I didn't get a good opening to attack Kagura myself. Should have known he would do something so stupid just to claim a worthless prize of pride. I'm going to have to take matter into my own hands soon enough if he keeps doing this." uttered a frustrated Inuyasha.

"Curse you for interfering!!!" Kagura yelled in anger, blocking Kouga's rapid flurry of punches with her fan. One of Kouga's punches had a recoil so strong that it actually pushed Kagura back a good distance away, causing a small crack to appear on the base of her fan. Kouga stopped and scowled at Kagura with the most historical glare of hatred anyone could have ever seen.

"Kagura. I've only dared to interfere with your plans not only because I ended up helping out Inuyasha and the others, but to relinquish in the moment that I get the chance to spill your blood. Just like you did to my comrades. By the time I'm through with you you'll be nothing but a dead rotting corpse similar to the ones you like to command so much." Kouga accused.

"Oh? Do you even care to back up such a nonsensical statement? You're just as weak as your allies were if you had fallen so easily to my sorcery just as they did. To call yourself the leader of a pathetic wolf tribe is an absolute joke if you have yet to take upon that vow of revenge. While you're busy gallivanting on your pointless rampages, I've simply led Inuyasha here to extract information that's best left confidential to your ears... although the gist is - Naraku intends to have all of die, starting off with the young girl Kagome." Kagura said coldly.

"WHAT!?" Kouga asked, running at Kagura and grabbing her by her blood soaked collar. He slammed her against the ground and withdrew his sword, holding the tip of the blade to her neck. He raised it in the air, ready to strike. "To insult me and my entire tribe... I don't know what you've done to Kagome, but get ready to die the worst possible death you can ever imagine!!!" Kouga lowered the blade, but Kagura only smirked back in response.

"Just like a wolf led straight to the trap set up for him. You've fallen _right_ into my coaxing! Again, you are too predictable for words!" Kagura said weakly.

"What!? What are you talking about, you wench?" Kouga was confused again, as Inuyasha turned to his right and saw that Kanna had been aiming her mirror at the wolf demon from behind.

"What the!?!" Inuyasha was shocked. "But I thought Sango destroyed it! It must another one of their stupid tricks to fool us! HEY, KOUGA! WATCH YOUR BACK!!! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!" Inuyasha yelled at the heated wolf. But it was just two seconds too late, with Kouga snapping his head around too see himself being shot with Kanna's mirror.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!" Kouga screamed. Kanna rubbed the rim of her supposedly replaced mirror, neither enjoying the moment nor taking pity on the actions she was undertaking.

"You were a fool to underestimate us. Now it is time you will pay the ultimate price..." said Kanna in a flat tone. Miroku and Sango were fighting off the last of the undead until Shippo checked up on Inuyasha and the others.

"Gah!!! Um, guys? I hate to the bearer of bad news, but... Kanna has her mirror back!" Shippo gulped, throwing his spinning top on the head of a zombie and grinding a hole into its skull.

"There's no way that could have happened? I clearly used my Hiraikotsu to shatter it into pieces!" Sango curiously queried, stopping once she killed the last undead.

"We've seen it for ourselves, but this must have been another ploy set up by Kagura! I don't know how to explain it myself, but this battle has to end fast or else one of us won't make it with this kind of constant trickery occurring." Miroku said.

Meanwhile, Kouga fell down to his knees as he felt his soul being slowly sucked out of him. The blue energy field held him in a stasis where he could barely move. No matter how much Kouga struggled there was nothing he could do to break out. Kagura slipped out from under Kouga's weakened grasp.

"Ha ha ha! Another entrapment blindly taken for granted. While it appeared that Kanna's mirror was destroyed not too long ago, what you saw was real. However thanks to Naraku's power, Kanna now holds a mirror with the power to reassemble itself no matter how many times it can be broken. This specific mirror's special ability is only strengthened and made capable by the miasma surrounding us, which leads to another plus in our favor." Kagura said. The same miasma that she spoke of blew past her gently, echoing the sound of Kouga's screams.

"Damn... it.... Nnnghh!!!" Kouga breathed. At that moment, he heard a roaring storm behind him. He turned to his left to see Inuyasha surrounded in an aura of cyclone like wind, holding his Tetsusaiga in front him as he rushed for Kanna.

"I've had enough of this crap! Its beyond time that I took back control of the situation!" Inuyasha said, seeing Kanna's wind aura colliding with his as plain as day. He jumped up and slashed his sword into the collision's fissure, and a big flash of light exploded across the field. "KAZU NO KIZU!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled. The Tetsusaiga created the usual five powerful streaks of pure energy that drilled into the ground and brutally knocked Kanna away like a rag doll.

"AYYYYYIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Kanna cried out amongst the flying rocks. She slammed into the trunk of a tree and the mirror flew out of her grasp. Blood gushed out of her mouth from the impending impact and spilled over the front of her yukata. The light from the Kazu no Kizu made it impossible to see where the mirror exactly landed, but this in turn saved Kouga from the soul stealing demon girl.

"YEAH! Did you see that? Inuyasha just rushed in and swatted Kanna away like a fly! If it wasn't for him Kouga would have been finished." Shippo cheered happily.

"Yes, while that may be true, let's hope that Kouga doesn't continue to act recklessly and end up turning the tides of battle in reverse. Inuyasha wants to finish this battle just as much as any of us, and Kouga is only making the dangers more apparent by getting in the way." Miroku commented.

Kouga was released from the energy hold and hit the ground, grunting loudly. Kagura's tolerance of the battle was higher than normal, and she could no longer contain her composure. She angrily blew Kouga's body away with a wind blast from her fan, her face twisted with bloody cuts, hatred and agony.

"Inuyasha... just when I thought that he could not become more of a pain, he screws things up yet again!" Kagura said, trying to stay level-headed. "I can't let this battle drag on any further than it already has. Now that Kanna's usefulness is expired, I have no choice but to end this on my own."

Kouga slid against the ground and halted right next to Inuyasha, who just gave his rival a nasty stare of disgust.

"You know, you're a real idiot for rushing Kagura like that and not even watching your rear. You're lucky I came in to save your butt just in the nick of time." Inuyasha muttered.

"One should not be so overly critical of his allies. At most you should be grateful that you both get to experience a gratifying death simultaneously. Had it been you and not the wolf boy, Inuyasha the chances of you falling into the same trap would have proved to have the exact same results, am I not correct?" Kagura smiled.

"He's no damned ally of mine! He's just another hot-headed fool who doesn't look before he leaps. At any rate he's ready to get himself killed no matter what the circumstances may be." Inuyasha barked back. "And as far as I'm concerned, I'm far more intelligent and tactical than he'll ever be. What he just did made it the obviously clear to everyone with open eyes."

"Grrr... not of out of the game yet, stupid..." Kouga groaned. He muttered Kagura's name and forced himself to stand, his body bruised a bit.

"So, you're finally done eating the dirt and mustered up the energy to battle?" Inuyasha asked.

"Instead of starting another arguement why don't you just fight!" Kouga snapped back, upset at himself for falling to Kagura's mockery. He knew he had the chance to finish her off but he let his anger blind him.

"Hmph! Fine. But the outcome will still deem me as the victor. Sit back and watch a real fight commence!" Inuyasha said, about to step forward. Kagura narrowed her eyes at the dog demon in return.

"I've had enough of this nonsense! Its time that all of you die once and for all! Hyaaaahhhhhh!" Kagura shouted, waving her fan up into the air in a circular motion. The extremely fast motion of her twirling created a massive windstorm that covered her body in a barrier in the shape of a cylinder. The barrier's field appeared to be impassable with the storm having an exterior of hard glass. A deafening sound strained through the ears of Inuyasha and his company, and at the same time they were slowly being pushed back by the powerful force of the circling storm.

A moment later Kagura spun her fan again, this time causing a large volley of wind slashes to fly out of the spinning mass of air. They randomly scattered about the field at a high speed, placing a threat to everyone who was considered the opposition. One of the blades had missed Shippo by a hair on his head as he was being carried off by Kirara, and Miroku had grabbed Sango and hit the ground, covering her while creating a small shield with his staff.

"I suggest you don't expel all of your energy trying to win. You'll only risk having all of your limbs severed defying my winds!" Kagura said, her voice nearly inaudible due to the sound of the storm she stood in the very center of. However, little did she know she was giving Inuyasha a small window of opportunity to take her down... only if he could figure out how. In the meantime, Inuyasha and Kouga took their jumps around the field, moving out of the way of the wind blades.

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"Kagura's pulling out all the stops with this storm of hers. But now that she's stationary, I can see the wind aura that surrounds her. But like the last time, she has the power to control which way she wants the wind to flow. This is definitely going to be a problem if I plan to hit her with the Kazu no Kizu since I might not be able to see the fissure. Only if the barrier's power wasn't so strong, I might be able to chance it and pray for the best in hitting her with the attack. But can I do it? I don't have enough time or the strength enough to perform the Bakuryuuha, but at the same time the Kazu no Kizu may not even be powerful enough to make it past the barrier..." Inuyasha's mind filled with doubt.

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"No! I can't start questioning myself at times like this! Its either now or never. But can I do it alone?" Inuyasha thought. The moment he blinked, he heard Kouga approach him from the side. The two warriors exchanged glances of determination.

"Listen, Inuyasha! The only way we can stand of chance of defeating Kagura is by working together." Kouga suggested, his mind somewhat cleared from Kagura's scarring words.

"Hey, I don't need any assistance. Once you start this teamwork crap all you're going to do is go on and fuck up like you did the last time. Practice what you preach, because working solo and working as a team are two completely different subjects. I don't need the help." Inuyasha replied, blocking a wind slash with his sword.

"Neither do I, but this is the only chance we have if we want to break through this blasted storm. Individually you and I both know one of us alone isn't going to make it." Kouga said.

Inuyasha was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "Heh, you might be right after all. What's the plan? At least, I hope you have one. Because if you don't, I've already come up with something."

"If I'm thinking what you're thinking, then you'd better get ready. I'm going straight for Kagura to distract her, and while that's being done, I'll give you to word on when to use your sword!" Kouga raised his voice over the volume of the tempest. Kouga dashed ahead and punched a few wind slashes out of the way, the dust kicking up behind him.

"This had better work..." Inuyasha said, with himself picking up the pace.

"Ha ha ha ha!!! I would not have believed it with my own two eyes. If I didn't know any better your attention span has been decreasing the longer the fight goes on. What makes you think you will get anywhere this time? Using the same attack twice no less?" Kagura went on.

"Don't be quick to pass judgement on what I'M doing as you're about to die!" Kouga said, charging up all of the strength he could muster up in his fist. He appeared to be as fast as lightning, blazing past the random wind rushes. Kagura broke out into a small sweat when she noticed that Kouga was getting closer and closer to her.

"Oh, I disagree. You will be the one to be permanently disposed of." Kagura retained her defiance. She used her power to will one of the wind slashes to turn around like a boomerang and come hurtling back to Kouga. But the wolf could already sense the oncoming blade from behind because he could feel the increase of air pressure.

"Perfect! This only helps the situation..." Kouga said to himself. He then let out a mighty roar and jumped in front of Kagura's barrier. "KYAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

"W... what are you doing!?" Kagura demanded. She let out a surprised gasp when Kouga threw a single powerful punch right into the eye of the wind barrier, level to Kagura's chest. The splash force of the punch sent a shockwave through the barrier, creating an open tear through the wall. This caused the wind blades to shoot out an even more random fashion, and Kagura almost stumbled back. "While I'm impressed that you were able to break through the storm, I'm not inspired by your stupidity!" Kagura said, striking back with another fan swipe.

"Ha, I think you have me confused with yourself! Pretty stupid move to get hit by your own blades!" Kouga sneered and did a somersault back flip, having the fan missed his face.

"What!?" said a confused Kagura, until she looked down and saw the same wind slash that she tried to hit Kouga's rear side with was zooming right onto her. "Ackkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!" Blood showered out everywhere as the blade dug deep into Kagura's right side, cutting past her and sending her sprawling onto the ground. She was so severely weakened by the unexpected blow that the storm of wind she was encased in had flickered like a light. The barrier was beginning to disappear, and Kouga raised his hand to give the signal.

"NOW, INUYASHA! ATTACK!!!" Kouga shouted.

"RIGHT!" Inuyasha said, surprised that Kouga was able to do something right for once. He leapt closer to the area where Kagura was. He immediately gathered up his power and easily spotted her wind colliding with his, and it was easier to see the fissure this time around due to Kouga's distraction. "Time to end this charade!!! _KAZU NO KIZU!!!!!!!!!_" Inuyasha's yelled, cutting his Tetsusaiga into the visible fissure and blasting away Kagura in massive explosion of light.

"They've done it!" Miroku reported as he and the others shielded their eyes from the blinding white spectrum and dust, and squinted to see the bodies of the undead around them dissolve into a bubbly quivering mass of foam and blood.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kagura screamed as she was driven into the nearby house, the wooden structure collapsing onto her. The Kazu no Kizu's wave dug a thirty foot long trench along the ground after the dust had cleared with heavy black smoke rising from the crater. The miasma itself had also disappeared due to Kagura's loss of control over it, and the air was no longer tainted with the foul stench of rotten decay and death.

The dark gray clouds had slowly withdrawn into nothingness to reveal the setting sun over the horizon in the sky, revealing that it was close to the evening. A flock of birds let a unified caw, passing over the village field and marking the end to another hazardous battle. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara all ran up to Inuyasha, relieved to see that everything was okay.

"Inuyasha, you did it! You guys turned the tables on Kagura!" Shippo exclaimed.

"There was no way she could have gotten away in time without taking some considerable damage. We were worried for a moment back there but you've pulled through fine." Sango said wearily.

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for the dumbass keeping Kagura at bay long enough for me to attack. But hey, who's to say I would have lost?" Inuyasha scoffed.

Kouga landed on the ground, wiping the edge of his nose with this fist. "Not bad if I do say so myself. It was the only way we could have won." Kouga smirked, making his way back to where Inuyasha's group was.

"Well, its finally over." Inuyasha said, sheathing his Tetsusaiga. When he was about to say something else, he saw Kouga stopping and immediately spinning around and looking back at the area where Kagura lay beneath the rocks and soil.

"Better rephrase that. Its not quite over yet!" Miroku said. Inuyasha and his comrades took off and came over to Kouga's position in time to see Kagura herself rise up from the ground. The once beautiful demon woman appeared to be a complete mess, with her kimono ripped in several sections and soaked with blood. One of her earrings was snapped off and the side of her face was bruised purple and red. Her red eyes were flashing with an ugly fervor of sheer anger and annoyance.

"C... curse all of you!!! I can't believe that I have failed to kill them off. Rather than trying to take simple information I opted to take the harder route." Kagura stammered, feeling a slight pain of shame and regret. "How foolish to be so easily defeated when I clearly had the upper hand..."

"You know, for someone who talks so much garbage you sure have a lot of aggravating tenacity. But that will only make all the more sweeter once I rip out your heart." Kouga announced.

"He certainly has his subtle ways with women." Sango said in a sarcastic tone while rolling her eyes.

"You've got that right." Inuyasha agreed. Keeping his eyes on Kagura, Kouga was about to make a move until she made one last defensive tactic with her fan by sending a hard wind wave at everyone. This gave her enough ample time for Kagura to make her escape. She plucked the white feather from her hair and enlarged it, promptly hopping on and whooshing off into the sunset horizon.

"Sorry to disappoint, wolf pack leader. But even I know when the odds are against me. Perhaps in another time and place you and I can settle our arguable differences. And Inuyasha? Might I add that the same could be said of you. In the meantime, I bid you a most hated farewell." Kagura said softly as she disappeared into the orange hue of the sky.

Kouga, knowingly pissed off as ever, ran over to the rubble and slammed his fist down onto the ground. He stared up at the same spot where Kagura escaped, unable to calm down. "Coward!!! Just like your master, Naraku! Too afraid to face dying when you're at your wit's end!" Kouga yelled up to the clouds.

Inuyasha and his group remained close by in silence. "Blast... and we almost had her, too. It would have been one less demon in our minds to worry about." said a melancholy Sango, staring down at her feet.

"Hey! Look over there! Where did Kanna go? Wasn't she lying unconscious over there just a few minutes ago when Inuyasha attacked her?" Shippo tugged on Miroku's robe and pointed to the tree where Kanna used to be. Miroku followed Shippo's gaze and gasped.

"You're right, Shippo. It seems that Kanna herself has also disappeared too. I don't see a trace of her. She must have escaped along with Kagura as well... and of course taken her mirror along with her." Miroku said with narrow eyes.

"We certainly can count on not seeing the last of them both at this rate. It was a tough battle but we got through it without too much of a problem. But what I do feel bad for is the villagers that were killed by the two sisters. Both Kagura and Kanna are just cowards when things aren't looking their way. I'm just sorry we couldn't do anything to save these people to begin with." Inuyasha with remorse.

"We didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Kagura's trap came unexpected. I don't see any way we could have predicted this at such a crucial time." Miroku said.

Kouga stretched his arm and came back to Inuyasha's group. "While Kagura may be gone, it hasn't been explained to me what happened with Kagome." his eyes falling on Kagome who lie unharmed on Kirara's back. He clenched teeth and pointed at Inuyasha. "Why haven't you been protecting my woman? I ought to beat you senseless for having this happen to her!"

"Hey, shut your fucking trap and LISTEN for a second, will you? Kagome has been poisoned because of a trap that Naraku has set for us the other day. While its really none of _your_ business, Naraku has been plotting to poison Kagome and now that he's achieved that... she'll die within a certain time if we don't find a special plant that can cure her. Also I'll throw in the major fact that Kagome does NOT belong to your and she's not your goddamned property." Inuyasha countered menacingly. "You're better to step off and find yourself an actual four legged wolf to breed with, because beauty doesn't mix quite well with stupidity."

The latter half of Inuyasha's words barely even hit Kouga's ears as the wolf demon found himself enraged at Naraku even more than he did before. "First he dares to kill my brothers and now he attempts to take away the one woman I love?!" Kouga said above a whisper. He bent down and took Kagome's limp hand in his own.

"HEY! What the hell are you doing!?" Inuyasha interrogated. Kouga put his other hand on Kagome's forehead which had felt cold to him. Seeing how horrible Kagome's condition was, he could only say but so many words.

"Kagome... I promise that whatever it takes, I'll take Naraku's head for what he's done to you. I won't rest until I find him and end this ongoing madness." Kouga stood back up, his eyes still falling on the girl. After a few moments of silence he turned his attention to Inuyasha's gang. "While I don't know what you plan to do, I'm sure you'll be able to help Kagome. But as for myself, I'm going to hunt down Naraku and kill him. And don't any of you dare think about getting in my way. No one does this to my future wife and gets away with it!!!"

"Get the wax out of your ears and start facing reality!" Inuyasha shot, raising his fist. "While I don't expect you to join us and I hope you never WILL, you're better off leaving the job of eliminating Naraku to me."

"Heh! Talk all you want. In the end, I will be the one to slay Naraku and claim Kagome's hand in marriage. Knowing how slow you are you won't even be able to sniff out Naraku's scent without looking for a couple of bones to dig up!" Kouga replied arrogantly.

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"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Inuyasha yelled as Miroku and Sango tried to restrain him.

With a mild scoff, Kouga took off to the woods. "Take care of Kagome and don't screw things up, or else I'll be personally coming back for you!" Kouga said as he disappeared into the thick green environment at the end of the village. Inuyasha broke out of his friends' grasp shook his fists, wishing that he could have knocked some sense into the dirty wolf demon permanently.

"And then he woke up!" Inuyasha coughed out. "I bet he doesn't even have a clue on where to find Naraku anyway."

"Um, shouldn't we have been better off asking Kouga for his help in tracking down the Ringenkai Plant?" Sango asked. "His speed definitely would have proved to be as of some use and we could assume that he very knowledgeable of the northern lands."

"Hey, who asked any of you for your opinions? I'm calling the shots here, and I say only we are the ones capable of saving Kagome at all. What good is that wolf to us, lately? Get in one little incident, take out those jewel shards in his legs, and he ends up being rendered completely useless to anyone." Inuyasha boldly stated. "The dumbass can go on ahead and get killed by Naraku for all I care. Right now our aim is to find the Ringenkai Plant and cure Kagome. From now on, no wasting time alright?" Inuyasha walked off with Shippo and Kirara following him. 

"I guess that's his way of saying of not wanting to admit he may have needed help." Sango whispered to Miroku while they followed close behind.

"Whatever the case may be, Inuyasha is right. It is best to continue moving on and not worry about anything else. It won't be much longer before the evening arrives, so we'll want to cover as much ground as possible. It will be a ways until we hit the mountains." Miroku replied.

"This is going to be a _long_ search." Shippo sighed to himself, pulling on a strand of his hair.

Inuyasha and his friends all quietly left the village, solemnly leaving behind what was once a small populated area. All was peaceful once again except for a strange presence hanging in the bushes of one of the tall trees. Upon drawing any closer it was actually Kanna who was sitting on a large extended branch, hidden from the shade of the leaves. Her white yukata smeared with dried blood, her blank eyes flashed with the walking reflection of Inuyasha's backside.

"So they do know of the plant's location... now it is only a matter of finding out where exactly does it lie." Kanna said. In her hands she held her newly assembled mirror, which gleamed with the sharpest light and most frightening silhouette of shadowy darkness. Kanna could almost hear the screams of the lost souls that were doomed to forever float in the astral plane, but soon enough turned a deaf ear to the sound of regret and the bad reminiscence of the horrors she has been raised to carry out for as long as she lived.

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The End of Chapter 8.


	9. Kanna Returns

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 9: Kanna Returns

The evening sun dawned upon the land of Japan at a hesitant pace. Time itself seemed to slow down considerably for whichever reasons unknown. But some may be obliged to say that one minor slip in the space-time continuum was actually a decent helping hand to Inuyasha and his troupe, with this still being the first day in the period they were allowed to rescue Kagome Higurashi from a fateful death.

The poisonous seed that lay deep within the folds of Kagome's body had solely nestled its permanent resting spot where it solidified. Given the corrupt grace of the miasma substance that Naraku himself had concocted with his own two hands, the seed's cycle system was ready to move onto its next stage within the next 36 hours. By tomorrow, the seed would have already sprouted its first root, sliding past the crevice of the girl's intestine and beginning the path to an undetermined ending.

Inuyasha's mind was cluttered by various things as usual, ranging from finding more shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel to Naraku's bag of never ending tricks and traps to finding the Ringenkai Plant to have it cure Kagome. As he walked at a moderate pace along with his friends, he desperately wanted to clear his mind if meant to avoid being sorely agitated and depressed. For some reason the natural chirping of birds flying overhead or the soothing trickle of the thin but lengthy river they walked alongside by didn't seem to assist in his mini quest for a calm state of mind.

"Its already close to sunset. Maybe we should walk a little further and see if we can find a good place to privately camp out. If we don't find another town then we'll have to rough it in the woods again." Sango spoke, her voice coming to Inuyasha's attention.

"I have to be honest here, I'm kinda sick of 'roughing it' in the forest all the time. Is it just me or whenever we really want to find a nice and warm place to stay somehow we get stuck in the outdoors nearly... say, 90% of the time? A nice onsen would sound good about now. I didn't even realize how much chilly it was until a few minutes ago." Shippo pouted, leaning lazily against Kagome's side.

"I'm pretty sure if we possessed a mighty fine carriage things would be at quicker pace. But I'm afraid if we simply stop now we're going to find ourselves hard pressed for time. Remember Shippo, Mount Harunai is a long way from here. I don't have any means of contacting my friend Hachi to give us a lift through the air since we're nowhere near my caretaker's old home, so if we happen to find something that may speed up our transportation we would be extremely lucky." Miroku sighed wistfully.

"Everything is completely against us, isn't it? Running around on a constant basis trying to fit jewel shards into our schedule, fighting off Naraku's henchmen, and now on a fixed time limit with brutal consequences. If I could wish for anything right now it definitely wouldn't be the Shikon Jewel itself. At this point, I wouldn't even care about becoming a full fledged demon. If anything... just anything... I would want Kagome back to normal. If she... left me. I don't know what I would do. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I failed to save her life granted something impeded my progress." Inuyasha said with emotion, no longer caring to hide his apparent but still questionable feelings for the girl.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippo all remained silent. They've never heard such powerful words from the angsty half demon before, but they always knew it was quite obvious that Inuyasha appreciated having them around him. He had proved it quite a few times in the past when he did his best to protect not only just Kagome, but Miroku during his time of need when being threatened by a group consisting of over one hundred demons, avenging the death of Shippo's father in the fight against the Thunder Brothers, and befriending Sango even after her tragic incident involving Naraku's enslavement of her brother Kohaku.

"What? Why is everyone being so quiet all of a sudden? Don't act so secretive with me, okay? You're probably thinking I'm just spouting off nonsense. I'm not! Anyone else would have said the same thing. We're talking about Kagome's life here. And we're the only ones who can change the tides of whatever that evil bastard Naraku was planning from the get go. I don't know about of any of you, but I won't give up. Even if I have to go all the way to Mount Harunai myself and find that plant, I'm going to make a positive happen instead of worrying about all of the negatives that is trying to mess with our heads." Inuyasha said, stopping to face his friends. Sango stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Inuyasha, don't think that we are unable to understand what you mean. Because we do. Why would you think after all the times we as a group shared together, we would feel so indifferent to the situation? We want to save Kagome just as much as you do. And believe me, no one is going against you or your feelings." Sango said sincerely.

"That is exactly why we make it our first priority to find that plant as soon as possible. Even though strong evidence will lead me to believe Naraku won't be so nonchalant about what's going on currently. As much as I forbid it, he will do anything in the book to stop us. His initial target was taking out Kagome, but Naraku is not the kind who would miss the clear chance to kill two birds with one stone." Miroku added.

"Or in this case, six birds with one stone. But we've got to do what it takes if we want to help Kagome, right? I'm in this all the way, too! Right Kirara?" Shippo asked, and Kirara growled lightly in response.

Inuyasha began to feel a little better and more confident because of his friends' words. He gave a slight smile to Sango and the others, although deep within his sorrowful heart he truly wanted to shed mixed tears of joy, sadness, and anger. But after growing up and keeping his vicious and proud exterior for as long as he can remember, he wasn't truly ready about to soften as so much as fresh sap running down the side of a maple tree.

"Yeah, you're all right. I guess we're all better off just putting most of our concentration on getting the job done, no matter what happens. Let the worst of the pack oppose us all they want, but rest assured they'll get slaughtered by the blade of my Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha said with pride. "We've gotten this far, and I'm not about to let anyone stop us now even if it means... giving up my life."

Inuyasha then noticed that Miroku and the others were still walking without responding to what he just said. Out of nervousness, he flinched.

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"Wait a second... did I just say that out loud? Or did I only think it?" Inuyasha thought, staring after his friends slowly moving ahead of him. "Um, did you hear what I said?" he asked. Sango stopped and turned to him.

"Yes, Inuyasha. You said whoever gets in your way will be slaughtered by your sword. You don't have to needlessly repeat yourself." Sango said lightly, accompanying her words with a friendly laugh.

"Oh... well, good. Because I meant what I said!" sighed Inuyasha, relieved that he only thought the last sentence he spoke. He knew if he admitted that he was willing to sacrifice his life for Kagome or pretty much any other of his friends, he would never hear the end of it. He never really enjoyed having his own opinions blown out of proportion because it always seemed that sort of thing would happen each time.

While he may have allies to rely on in times of need, in comparison to his characteristics as a loner fifty years ago still lingered somewhere within him. Inuyasha's anger and hatred spread out like a live wire but usually ended up in the wrong situations. He would often mix his emotions toward his love for Kikyo or Kagome with the terrible experiences he's had during his childhood. Even his understandable hatred for Naraku had a special role for the reasoning of the half demon's attitude. But when push came to shove, it was Inuyasha's anger and ability to tap into his own spiritual power that helped him win many a battle with his foes. Without his demon blood running through his veins, he would only be another human that served no purpose to the world. Weak without a true heart.

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Nightfall soon came faster than anticipated. A white crescent moon with its visible craters hovered in the black void of outer space above the land, and the bright stars were all scattered like salt on an ocean's surface. One particular star shot across the sky, catching the eye of Shippo. He was carrying a batch of twigs and leaves while stargazing. He put down the twigs and closed his eyes, holding his hands together in a small prayer.

"I wish, I wish upon a shooting star. Please let Kagome live through this ordeal. Let Kagome come back to us and please bless us with seeing her cheerful smile and hearing her wonderful laughter..." Shippo sadly lowered his hands as he felt a trickle of water splash down onto his head from one of the leaves of the tree he was standing under.

"If I didn't know it any better, I would think the night itself was crying too..." Shippo said as he picked up the twigs and scurried on back to the encampment a few feet away. It was there that Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango were setting up a makeshift tent and fireplace for the night.

"That takes care of the tent!" Inuyasha said, throwing down the entire skin of a large bear. He sat down against a tree trunk and crossed his arms, less irritable than normal.

"Ah, what would we do with you to provide us with such fine remarkable fur? I'm would have thought that you actually killed two bears to get a skin this large." Miroku commented, picking up the skin and examining it closely.

"That's exactly why we should avoid camping out in the wild too much. Now you know why at least one of us has to constantly stay awake for the night in case bandits or demons come roaming around our camp. Good thing I never was a heavy sleeper." Inuyasha grunted while leaning over the little stone circular on the ground. He took two sticks in his hands and started to rub them together.

"After all the walking around we've been doing I'm surprised you're able to keep your eyes open at all. As nervous as I am too, I can't help wanting to get a good night's rest. Besides at the break of early morning the faster we get up the better." Sango said, helping Miroku pitch up the skin using cut wooden stakes and nailing them down around the edges.

Shippo arrived at the camp and threw down the twigs and leaves onto the circular where Inuyasha was trying to start a fire. The fox boy wiped his sleeve across his glistening forehead and exhaled, hopping back and lying against the side of Kirara's stomach.

"You know what I was thinking? Is it really safe for us to take Kagome with us on such a long journey all the way to Mt. Harunai? I mean I know its essential that we have her there the moment we find the plant, but ever since the battle with Kagura and Kanna I'm beginning to wonder if it would be a better strategy to keep Kagome hidden away in a safe place while we're out traveling." Shippo suggested.

"Shippo does have a point. Since we're going to try our best to find the mountainside as fast as humanly possible, its best if Kagome wasn't with us at all. It was a mighty large risk having her with us when we fought Kagura. She could have been badly hurt between all of the confusion at that. Perhaps the faster we move, the more time we will have to return to Kagome to administer the herbal plant to her. Its for the better and makes the best approach." Miroku said.

"That's true. Knowing Naraku he'll do anything to keep a sore eye on all of us. If he doesn't have the slightest clue as to where Kagome even is during all of this ongoing nightmare the safer she'll be. At the same time I don't want to take her out of my sight... but what choice do we have at this point?" Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

"The only suitable place for her to stay is old Kaede's village right now. This means backtracking quite a great deal to do this. If we really want to make the decision on this we're going to have to leave for the village now." Sango said.

"I have a better idea. Shippo, Kirara and I will take Kagome back to village. Sango can stay here with you, Inuyasha. Leaving now we might be able to make it back in time to rejoin you. Morning won't come for another 10 hours anyway, so we'll be fine." Miroku said, with he and Shippo climbing onto Kirara's back.

"You're sure about this? We'll leave the fire running so you can find us more easily. There's no way we won't move on without any of you." Inuyasha asked.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine. Just get some rest for now and don't get so paranoid. Are you ready, Shippo?" Miroku looked down at his fox friend.

"Ready! Let's go! Come on, Kirara!" Shippo said, and Kirara shot off into the sky like a bullet faster than lightning itself. The flaming legged feline disappeared beyond the tree tops within a few seconds, carrying Kagome along with the others.

"There they go. And here we stay." Sango said, her voice above a whisper. Feeling short of breath and tired from a long day's travel and fighting, she promptly set a cushion inside of the open tent and laid down, releasing the band in her hair and letting it flow down. After a few minutes of shifting her weight she was about to drift off into a deep sleep.

"Goodnight, Inuyasha... don't stay up too long, okay? You need your sleep just like anyone else." Sango said, turning to face her dog demon friend.

"Heh, I know. But don't worry about me, I'll rough it out. I promise I'll try to rest up after awhile. Night, Sango." Inuyasha said softly, giving a reassuring nod to her before leaning back against the tree trunk that served as his upright bed and closing his eyes shut.

Hearing Sango turn around going off to sleep, Inuyasha put himself into a deep state of concentration and letting his mind take control from there. The tension left his body and he appeared to feel more tranquil knowing that Miroku was planning to bring Kagome back to Kaede's village where she would be safe from harm. Not only that, this plan would keep Naraku from discovering her whereabouts.

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"After tonight, the first thing we're going to do is find the nearest village and ask for any more related info on Mt. Harunai. Four more days is all we have... four days... four... days..." Inuyasha's last thought processed through his brain just before his strong will gave into the temptation that was bed rest.

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The clock had struck exactly forty-five minutes after midnight. A ghastly rustle spread itself through the thickness of the surrounding woods and a dead weight hit the air like an ancient graveyard populated with sad lost souls that were doomed to wander for eternity.

The once green leaves growing from the trees had turned into a pale gray color, and the grass turned brown. Slowly the whole wooded land had transformed from a lushful surrounding to a deceased black and white picture, with blue mysterious flashes of light shooting every which way. The cause of this sudden change emanated from the presence of Kanna herself, who slowly walked at a snail's pace through the cold woods.

The white clad little girl gripped her mirror and kept it close to her body. The mirror was the only object that showed any type of life with the glass itself reflecting the true opposite of the very area she was standing in. Inside the mirror yielded its original appearance and yet only in Kanna's eyes did she see everything in a monochrome fashion. Being brought to life without emotion only brought a vision of a dead world around her. But she did not care about any of that, as the only important matter in her mind was finding Inuyasha.

Her yukata stained with dried blood, both flowers from her hair now missing, and one of her slippers ripped apart so one of her pale feet was bare, her body ignored all types of stinging pain she may have experienced from one of Inuyasha's most brutal attacks, the Kaze no Kizu. Kanna knew she could have defeated Inuyasha in their battle had she been given ample time to deflect the attack right back at him. But the odds were against her while she drowned in the harsh light of the furious wind tremor.

Oh, how she did hate what she was forced to carry out for her one and only master, Naraku. But not as much as her younger sibling, Kagura. Kanna was the smarter one, as she was perfectly aware that Naraku held her external heart and could destroy it upon the immediate news of betrayal hitting his ears. But Kanna never so foolishly volunteered to openly display her belittled hatred for the type of life she was born into. She tended to wonder how did Kagura manage to take upon that face without ever fearing death. Perhaps Kagura was more risky than she ever was, but Kanna would never place risk before the truth.

Suddenly, Kanna stopped as she felt her mirror vibrate for few seconds. Her empty pupils raised to stare ahead deeper into the bare path she was on.

"They are close. I can sense it... the mirror calls out their location." Kanna said slowly. She continued moving on, a small gust of air pushing past her ankles.

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Inuyasha and Sango were both sound asleep, the fire quietly crackling with its small embers flying out. The sheathed Tetsusaiga leaned against Inuyasha's cradled arms, not having any means of being released from his sleep induced hold. Out of all the things to wake him up however, after roughly three hours was the hooting of an owl that was perched up in the trees somewhere close.

"Mmmnnnn... man, I must be getting old. I said I'd stay up but I wasn't expecting to close my eyes so fast." Inuyasha yawned, stretching out his arms and legs. "I guess all the night animals are coming out of the wood work tonight."

Inuyasha rose and dusted the pants of his red outfit off, his vision still a little blurry from the short nap. He picked up a small container of water that sat next to Sango and opened it, taking a much needed sip until his highly sensitive ears heard a tiny voice call out to him.

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"Inuyasha... come to me... Inuyasha..." the voice said flatly.

"What?" Inuyasha dropped the water, startled by the invading voice. "Did I just hear someone talking to me? But there's no one else here..." he said, doing a double take around the area. "The voice sounds faded... like a whisper... I can barely hear it."

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"Come to me... I'm waiting for you..." said the mysterious voice again, even at a lower pitch than the last time.

"There it is again! Who is that!?" Inuyasha said, fumbling around the fire in the darkness.

"Nnnghh... Mmmm..." Sango moaned upon hearing Inuyasha out loud. She stirred and opened her eyes a little to see him standing up, and she quickly rose. "Inuyasha? What's wrong? Did something happen?" she asked, her eyes worn and moist hair matted against her forehead.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Sango. I thought... I just thought I heard a voice... Like it was trying to beckon me to come to wherever it was. It sounds so faint and dead I can just barely hear it, even with my excellent hearing." Inuyasha responded.

"A voice? Now that you've caught my attention, I'm all ears myself!" Sango said, rubbing her eyes and then forcing herself up from the confines of the bear skin tent. In a flash she changed into her demon exterminator clothing and grabbed her Hiraikotsu and sword. "I already don't like the sound of this if you ask me. Did the voice sound familiar to you?" she questioned, fixing the heavy boomerang to the clasp on her back.

"No, not at all! But I've got a good hunch that its not your usual friendly wake up call." Inuyasha said, his right hand resting on the hilt of his Tetsusaiga. "The voice doesn't sound like its coming from any particular direction, however. It sounds as if its stemming directly from my mind."

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"Inuyasha... Sango... both of you... follow me..." the voice zapped itself into Inuyasha's mind a third time.

"I... I heard it too this time!!!" Sango gasped. "So did you?" she wondered, judging from the surprised expression on Inuyasha's face.

"Yes, but this time it wants us to follow it... And how in the world are we supposed to follow something we can't see?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. At that moment, the area around them transformed into a black and white surrounding, and a row of strange fiery blue lights appeared in front of Inuyasha and Sango. The lit path had gone straight down a twisted hidden pathway leading away from the camp.

"Does that answer your question?" Sango said, her nerves perked up.

"I definitely don't like the looks of this at all, I can tell you that right now. But its better to find out what the hell is going on rather than hang back and get caught by surprise. All leads point to that this is probably another one of Naraku's stupid tricks!" Inuyasha said.

"But are you sure? As you've said we could be walking right into a trap!" said Sango worriedly.

Inuyasha ground his teeth and crackled his claws, shaking his head. "And if we don't investigate we could very well put ourselves into one, backs turned and all. I'd rather face the danger directly without getting caught off guard. The sooner I end this crap the less we have to worry about, so let's go!"

"Alright! I'm with you! We just have to be careful. We don't know what lies beyond this trail." Sango said, as both she and Inuyasha darted off down the open wooded path at a high speed.

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"Kaede?" Miroku called. He, Shippo and Kirara had made their arrival at the old village a few minutes prior as they gently brought Kagome into the old woman's home. "We apologize for showing up so late in the night. We did not mean to frighten you."

"Oh dear, it is of no importance. But by the heavens, what has happened to Kagome?" Kaede rushed over to the group and helped them place Kagome onto a rolled out mat on the floor. She lit up a candle and prepared a wet rag in some warm water in a basin in the corner.

"It is quite a long story... During the quest for some sacred jewel shards we came across a village that needed some help in ridding of a spider demon nest that terrorized the people. Apparently it was all a trap set up by Naraku." Miroku said, getting up to retrieve a blanket to put over Kagome.

"The spider demon queen did have some shards, but one particular shard was hidden inside the insect's head. When we thought the fight was over that's when the head bit Kagome and transferred some sort of a poison seed inside her! We tried to get help from a town medic but even he couldn't take it out." Shippo added, sitting at the girl's side.

"It definitely sounds like the sort of sickening mischief that Naraku would pull to rid of his enemies. But what of the seed? Does this possibly mean..." Kaede stopped, unable to finish her sentence out of fear.

"That is the most important part. The diagnosis from the doctor yielded a maximum amount of five days for the seed to be expelled from Kagome's body. If not... she will most likely die. But we did scrounge up some information that there is a specific plant that exists to kill the plant and rid of the poison inside her." Miroku said, pulling back the side of Kagome's shirt to show Kaede the purple shaded area on her torso, which had grown even bigger in size since the last time anyone had seen it.

"Of course Naraku knows that we're going to try and save her, so now he's sending his minions like Kagura and Kanna in order to stop us. We barely got out of the last battle with them alive. That's why we brought Kagome here, so you can look after her, Kaede. That way Naraku won't know where she is, and this gives us a way to get to where the herbal plant is without having our progress slowed down. Had Kagome stayed with us things would be harder by having to protect her constantly." said Shippo.

"I understand. It only makes sense, as not having to look after a defenseless girl while on this chase gives all of you a bigger advantage. So I take it that Inuyasha and Sango are somewhere else right now?" Kaede asked while putting the wet cloth on Kagome's forehead to keep her fever down.

"Yes, we left them both back at our camp, but we plan to rejoin with them after we leave." Miroku replied. "We want to be back before morning hits so we can we continue on our travel to find Mt. Harunai, which is the place where the herbal plant is supposed to grow."

"I pray for the best that you find this plant you speak of, Miroku. Not only the great loss of Kagome would place a most disheartening effect on Inuyasha especially, heaven forbid, but the most important factor of the search to complete the sacred Shikon Jewel solely rests on this young girl's shoulders. The reincarnation of my sister, Kikyo would dare not to fall victim to such a horrible incident." Kaede said softly.

Kaede wasn't too sure about it herself, but it was a wonder that the old woman could almost sense Kagome's spirit bravely fighting against the suffering ailment she was forced to fall to. In reality considering her powers of purification, Kagome would be the only human girl to ever have been spared with such a frugal time frame to survive with. Kaede could only hope that Inuyasha and the others were fast enough to find the Ringenkai Plant before it was too late.

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"Inuyasha! Sango! Hurry... hurry..."

Inuyasha and Sango were dashing down the path at a steady pace. It seemed that the further they have gone, the darker it became. The black and white contrast transformed into a bizarre blue hue, with hundreds of spirit balls whizzing and flying around like fireflies. The pitter patter of Inuyasha and Sango's footsteps slowly drowned out so nothing could be heard but the cries of the spirits. Some of them were animals, some of them humans, either wandering the woods or swimming in imprisonment of the afterlife.

"Damn! Why are the woods changing shape like this?! All we've been doing taking a straight path and getting nowhere at this rate? This is really a waste of my time." Inuyasha's anger sparked from the constant haunting.

"I feel like we've been running around in circles! The path keeps going on forever and the voice won't get out of my head! And where did all of these spirits come from?" Sango asked.

"Unfortunately, there's not much time for answers. All I'm concerned with right now is finding the blasted exit and the one responsible for bringing us here in the first place." Inuyasha said.

About only a moment later, Inuyasha and Sango were finally treated to a different show of scenery as they emerged onto a wide open space in the middle of the woods. Once they set foot inside of the field, a large electrical black barrier shot out and blocked the entrance they just came through in a circle.

"What the?" Inuyasha turned and slammed his fist against the barrier. In return a powerful snake trail of energy zapped his hand, sending him stumbling back a little. "Ngh! Oh, that's just terrific. We're locked inside and I'm already thinking the chances of busting out of isn't going to be easy."

"Let me try! Haaaaaaa!!!!" Sango swung her Hiraikotsu into the barrier only to receive the exact same results. The barrier negated the force of the weapon and pushed Sango away hard. She broke her fall and flipped right up onto her feet. "The current is too strong to break through! The barrier formed a dome around this area too, so there's no other way to get out of here." Sango said, taking a long gander up at the enclosed barrier.

"Wait..." Inuyasha paused. He narrowed his eyes as he took a quick sniff of the air. "Someone's here. I can smell it... almost like death... and I think I know who our mystery person is!" Inuyasha vigorously spouted as he spun to face a small figure passing through the barrier and drifting like a gentle gale into the field.

The dark blue light made the small person visible, with the blinding white fabric of the clothing she wore made her stand out from the swaying motion of the trees she appeared from. It was Kanna, her disheveled looks made readily obvious from the brutal aftermath of the last battle she had been involved in. The pupils in her eyes were dilated and showed much fatigue and stress, although her body language presented otherwise. Cradling her mirror like a newborn child, she stopped in place in front of Inuyasha and Sango with her face mouthing silent words.

"Kanna! I thought this was all too much of a familiar set up!" Sango's awareness heightened. "But I thought we all beat both her and Kagura back at the village. How could she return in such a condition like this, or even have the strength to try and face us now?"

"Knowing either her or Kagura things always have a way of coming back to take you by surprise if you're not careful. Having so many fights with Naraku's sickening detachments has taught me that lesson more times than I can count." Inuyasha replied. Both he and Sango drew their weapons, being cautious of what Kanna could do with her mirror.

"I just realized... where is Kagura? I thought that she would have shown up but I'm getting the feeling that Kanna... has come here alone!" Sango whispered with observant eyes.

"You're right. I'm not picking up Kagura's scent at all. Not even for a few feet of here. Kanna really is here all on her own. But why, I wonder? She's gone all to this trouble of bringing us here to this secluded part of the woods but yet she's here by herself? This isn't piecing together well." Inuyasha said.

"Master Naraku requires specific information before you die. I refuse to leave this task unfinished until your deaths are made a reality." Kanna said. Her mirror began to glow with a strenuous power. "Now witness that of the horrors making way to your worst nightmares... leaving your soul terrified with the utmost of fears to the very end."

"Heh. Only in _your_ dreams, Kanna. I don't what kind of specific information your bastard of a master is talking about, but you won't be getting it out of us. You're going to have to do a whole load of proper interrogation that actually requires strong social skills. Your memory seems to have skipped out on the fact that that's something you don't have." Inuyasha said. "Save the stupid drama and save yourself another embarrassing defeat by crawling back on your knees to Naraku."

"Somehow I think she has a different method in mind... Inuyasha, we can't stand here throwing insults. We have to attack her and get out of this place before she uses that mirror of hers!" Sango said with haste.

"Alright, the sooner we end this the faster we'll have this soul snatching game off our backs!" Inuyasha nodded, taking out his Tetsusaiga and leaping into the air. He dived down at Kanna with swift speed, aiming for the mirror directly. However, Kanna remained calm as she raised her mirror at the last second, countering Inuyasha's attack with a big explosion of flaming white light.

"Nnnnghhh!!! What's going on!?" Inuyasha squinted, hovering in the air as his Tetsusaiga leaned and scraped against the small surface of Kanna's mirror. Blue sparks flew into the air and Kanna herself was encased in a strange aura of energy, spreading out across the field like wildfire out of control.

"She's... she's deflecting my attack!" Inuyasha could feel the immense force of his sword repel right back against his body. Inuyasha tried his best to push further down on his opponent but all the little girl could do was stare blankly back at him. During the great power struggle she raised the circular object higher and the aura around her body automatically sent Inuyasha flying backwards into the electric barrier in the blink of an eye.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha shouted, the barrier sending a shocking jolt through his body. The electricity charged into crackling tentacles every which way, with Sango turning to him with concern.

"INUYASHA!" Sango yelled as she saw her friend plummet to the soft grass. She ran over to help him up, his outfit lightly smoking. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"Nnnghhh, I'm alright. Kanna must have somehow increased the strength of the barrier using that mirror of hers, no doubt. Uhhh... but we can't afford to touch it while we're fighting. The brush with it earlier wasn't any more harmful than a rat bite but the longer Kanna is here, the bigger advantage she has without giving us much room to maneuver around." Inuyasha groaned as he tried to stand up. When he raised his head he saw Kanna was about to release the stream of energy to steal their souls. Inuyasha gasped in response and pushed himself off the grass.

"WATCH OUT!!!" Inuyasha grabbed Sango by the back and dived down, pushing them both out of the way of Kanna's mirror attack. The stream bounced and hit the barrier and canceled itself out from the force. 

"Grrr... I'll get her!!! _HIRAIKOTSU!!!_" Sango rolled onto her feet and immediately threw her Hiraikotsu at Kanna as hard as she could, the distance between them relatively short in hopes of hitting the mirror right out of the emotionally deprived girl's hands. But Kanna turned at a fast pace and blocked the huge boomerang with the deflective energy of her mirror and sent it whizzing directly back at Sango at an even higher speed than before.

"Aaahhhhhh!!!!" Sango cried, taken by surprise from the girl's speedy reaction.

"SANGO!" Inuyasha called, trying to run to save her but he was too late. Sango could not move in time and her own Hiraikotsu slammed into her chest, causing a powerful impact and having her cough up a considerable amount of blood. She felt three of her ribs crack in her cage and the bones in her upper right arm and leg break upon contact with the hard object, sending her crashing to the ground. The Hiraikotsu toppled onto her motionless body, with Sango's eyes halfway closed and blood flowing down the side of her mouth.

"No!!! Sango! Hold on, I'm coming!" Inuyasha sprinted to his fallen ally. However, Kanna charged up her mirror once again and aimed it straight for the running dog demon.

"You will save no one. Invite your soul into the infinite darkness of the other world..." Kanna said, releasing the soul draining shot at both Inuyasha and Sango, drawing them both into a black swirling energy void. Inuyasha and Sango screamed as they felt themselves being relieved of all of their internal strength and their spirits hoisted into the astral plane. The screams of torment and pain was irrelevant to Kanna's ears, as they were only the beginning to a beautiful concerto of a demeaning nightmarish death for her two unlucky victims.

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Inuyasha was lying on his back with his eyes closed, taking on the appearance of a sleeping baby without the worst of a natural disaster occurring to interrupt him from partaking in his endless slumber of serene peace. An ominous wind rustled through the six inches of water his body lay spread across, with cherry blossoms raining down onto the lake like ground.

With the calm winds echoing through the air a lonesome blossom was gently blown onto his face, which was the only bit of motion to cause him to awaken. Inuyasha's lids slowly opened to expose his flawless amber eyes to the piercing blackness of the sky above and the blossoms of springtime accompanying it. He groaned upon lifting himself up, feeling a pounding migraine hitting his brain with increasing potential. His vision clearing and his bearings gathered into one single pool of assurance, Inuyasha blinked exactly three times before coming to reality.

"Wh... where am I? How did I get here all of a sudden?" Inuyasha shivered. He spread out his wet sleeved hand to prop himself up onto one knee, examining the place around him to see that he was crouched onto a never ending sea of sparkling pure water.

"That's strange... I don't remember a single thing opposed as to what put me here." Inuyasha said to himself. He could hear the trickling of water pouring onto the lake he stood in the middle of, but yet he could see the source of the relaxing sound. Inuyasha rose to his feet and walked off for several yards, experiencing a feeling of loss and disorientation.

"Miroku? Sango? Shippo? Kagome?! Can any of you hear me?!?!" Inuyasha shouted into the air. He heard no response but a faint repeating echo of his own voice. He sighed in frustration, picking up the pace of his walking. "I don't get it. Where is everyone? Why is it that my mind can't seem to draw out a vague idea of what happened more than a few moments ago?"

Inuyasha's mind was racked with questions, his only existing being wandering this new surreal world. Then as if to answer Inuyasha's curiosity, that was when the structure of Naraku's castle loomed a few feet away in front of him. The castle had the appearance of a misty illusion but at the same time it felt real. Just as real as the water Inuyasha's feet was submerged in, real as the sweet smelling cherry blossoms that rained, and real as Inuyasha's own placement into this picture.

"That's Naraku's castle! I wonder what its doing way out here in the middle of nowhere?!" Inuyasha asked. He had no time to waste as he ran to the massive stronghold and leapt like a fast moving frog to its front gates.

Inuyasha pushed open the gates and jumped into the wide open field he was so accustomed to seeing in the past, just inches away from the main floor where Naraku resided. However, what he was expecting to see was quite different from the norm and actually quite shocking to say the least. Inuyasha's mouth dropped open in horror as he saw someone lying face down in a large pool of blood in the middle of the courtyard. He immediately recognized the body and approached it.

"No... no!!! It can't be... Ka.. gome???" Inuyasha stuttered, breaking down into a cold sweat as he slowly reached for Kagome's side. He gently lifted her body up to reveal the young beautiful face he's become so accustomed to seeing on a daily basis. The same face that has already brought a ray of light and hope to Inuyasha's heart, was now a visage expressing that of lonesomeness and lament. Inuyasha's heart pounded like a drum upon seeing that the girl he has always fought so hard to protect was now lying dead in his arms.

"Kagome!!! You can't be gone... no.. nooooooo..... Who... who did this to you..." Inuyasha wailed, with actual tears forming at the ducts of his eyes. He turned her around all the way to reveal the large sharp brown root that stuck out from the gaping red hole in Kagome's stomach, with a river of blood still flowing from the open wound. Her internal organs reeked with an unpleasant rotting smell and the plant root was decorated with lush exotic purple flowers that seemed to have such an offensive appearance. The petals themselves were dried with the girl's red liquid as if they were feeding off her life force.

"Now I remember... the poison seed... I was too late! I couldn't save Kagome in time. And now... she's DEAD!" the last word left Inuyasha's mouth with such an high emotional drive that Inuyasha unsheathed his Tetsusaiga and slammed it down onto the ground creating an earthquake with an immense uproar. Inuyasha sunk down to his knees, his white hair dangling over his eyes in attempt to hide the crystal clear tears running down his cheeks like a waterfall.

"She'll never forgive me... It was all my fault. If only I protected her at the time... found that stupid plant. I could have saved her from losing her life. Now what do I have? My friends are gone, my will to fight has disappeared... my desires to become stronger and surpass the power of my father no longer interest me. In reality my mind didn't notice it but my heart did. What I probably really wanted in the end was to be with Kagome. To live happily with her and finally have a crack at a normal life. As much as I could just as easily cast away my half demon blood and use the power of the Shikon Jewel to become a normal human?" Inuyasha said, holding Kagome's head in his arms. His claws were drenched with her blood.

"Kagome... if you can hear me, that was what my heart had been pondering for weeks on end. To act like I didn't care about anything else... I didn't mean it. It was so hard to say what I was truly thinking because I was honestly afraid to portray any type of weakness. Having to grow up in a world where everyone places the blame on you for being born a half demon doesn't have its positive merits. Everyone doesn't understand the realities and hardships of what's its like so instead they choose to fear it instead. As much as I wanted to be a normal human and be accepted among society, at the same time I felt I was running away from who I truly was. Not basking in the pride of being born the son of one of the most powerful demons that has ever existed in his time. I didn't want throw any of that away. And yet..." Inuyasha's voice trailed off as he gazed deep into Kagome's blank accusing eyes of hatred.

Inuyasha's amber eyes glistened with the reflection of Kagome's. He felt the lost hatred stemming from her dead human shell, as if the emotion itself was performing a smooth transfer from one pair of pupils to the other. Inuyasha closed his eyes shut, unable to look at the blood soaked girl that he held so dearly close to him. Her skin had a heavy purple gauss of color from the poisoning of the plant that grew within her.

"Kagome... I'm so sorry... I... I lov----" Inuyasha stopped when he reopened his eyes to see Kagome's visage contort into a completely different face altogether. "What!? What's happening???" Inuyasha dropped the transforming body as he felt it turn into an acidic mass of bubbling flesh and blood. He backed up a few inches, his watery eyes widened in disbelief.

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"Ha ha ha... how touching, Inuyasha. Who would have correctly guessed that the all powerful half breed could hold such a sensitive heart within the same body." a deep and evil sounding voice vibrated from the goop like mass that was formerly Kagome Higurashi. Inuyasha gasped as he saw the mass instantly take the form of a white baboon pelt that hung around the waist of a mystifyingly handsome pale skinned man with long black hair. His dark blue and purple robes swayed ever so viciously in the passing winds of the courtyard, and his red eyes lit with an invisible fire that scorched Inuyasha's soul to the bone. Not the former lord Kagewaki, but the very essence of the demon that possessed that same body. The one and only Naraku stood prominently above the half demon.

"Naraku!!!" Inuyasha shook his fist to the man he's so longed to murder for the wrongful things that has been orchestrated among so many people. "So its all been one big fucking lie. All of it! You've brought me here to toy with my emotions? Your disgusting schemes sicken me to the point where the only thing that will ever let me live without strife is by cutting out your heart and slicing it into pieces with my own sword! You go to very great lengths to get the things you want. All the more so in defining the morals of an absolute coward." Inuyasha yelled.

"Your hatred for me grows without abandon, Inuyasha. You along with many of my other enemies I have been plotting to rid of for the longest of time. Having to witness your confused feelings for the young girl Kagome proves to be quite the main element for the center stage of your little world of ignorance and countless amounts of anger. Although you fail to realize the very fact it was not I at fault of the girl losing her precious life, but it was you who failed to prevent such a fate." Naraku said, the wind around him becoming stronger by the second.

"Liar! It was you who planned all of this nonsense. You made sure Kagome would be the target of your stupid scheme. You knew Kagome played the most important role in helping me and my friends find the Shikon Jewel shards and you feared the power she could use against you when the time was right. You didn't want to take that chance, so being the coward you are you tried to murder her from a distance. I know how you work now. Messing with the mentality of others and having them turn against each other in a moment's notice. Enslaving the innocent without having to get your own hands dirty while taking the spoils that are left behind for yourself when everyone else is as good as dead. Yeah, you're a real honorable strategist." Inuyasha said, feeling his power resonate inside the Tetsusaiga's blade.

"Indeed that I would admit to such incriminating actions by my own accord. But perhaps you would not be so inclined to express such acts of violence had things turned out quite differently. For example... had you saved Kagome in time. All of your fears and worries would not warrant you to have the half demon blood pumping throughout you as viciously as before." Naraku replied.

"I could have saved her... The Ringenkai Plant was the only thing that could have saved Kagome... I don't understand. We were on the trail to Mount Harunai in the north lands to find the plant... and the next thing I know I'm here. Whether this is just a bad dream or a reality... it certainly feels real... I'm not about to hold back on what I'm about to do next." Inuyasha said almost to himself out of guilt. His anger having reached the top, he lifted his Tetsusaiga and ran towards Naraku.

Naraku smirked as the winds transformed into a fog of twirling poison miasma. "And now you attack me in rebuke for the mistakes you've made in now murdering two women in your life... that of Kagome and Kikyo..."

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!!! HYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed with tears flowing from his eyes, as he swung the Tetsusaiga at Naraku. The blade slashed through Naraku's arm and chest, but the attack had appeared to unfaze him once he took on another transformation. Inuyasha reeled in shock as his sword passed through the man without any resulting damage, and Naraku's bottom half exploded into a massive field of ugly brown demonic roots which slithered around the courtyard like individual snakes after their prey. Naraku laughed madly, watching Inuyasha fend off the oncoming tendrils.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!! Inuyasha! Face your inevitable death and give me your power. Think of it as a tribute to my desire in becoming the most powerful demon that there is across this world! Your pitiful existence needs not be to wasted on this kind of trivial banter." Naraku's voice rang in Inuyasha's ears.

"Never! NEVER!!!" Inuyasha shouted as he leapt into the air and brought his Tetsusaiga down onto Naraku's head. The blade crushed Naraku's skull with blood and gray brain matter oozing down the neck of his robes, and his eyes exploded with the force of the Tetsusaiga's power. Inuyasha's face turned into a twisted smile of satisfaction as he took another graceful swing, tearing the entire body of Naraku in half horizontally with a gory display of blood and guts spilling out onto the warrior's red outfit.

The white streak from Inuyasha's sword disappeared as he landed onto the ground. The twitching remains of Naraku's grotesque body toppled backwards and causing a ground shaking tremor. Breathing hard, Inuyasha's heart would not stop beating from the adrenaline rush he felt as he savored the long awaited victory over Naraku.

"Could I have actually done it? He's finally dead. I've killed Naraku at last!" Inuyasha said, unable to believe his own words or the sight he saw before him. He slowly approached the dead demon, still not satisfied with what he has done. Inuyasha wanted to finish the job and make certain that the demon he just slayed wasn't just another puppet falsely put in place.

However as Inuyasha came within close proximity of the ghastly corpse he felt a rumbling from the ground under Naraku's body. Before he could even react in time, Inuyasha witnessed Naraku's roots reanimate back to life and shoot forth towards him. Inuyasha felt his ability to breathe cut off as the roots formed together into one big piercing needle, violently drilling directly into his chest and sending him crashing into one of the stone walls nearby.

"GAAAAAAACCCCKKKKKKK!!!!" A storm of blood gushed up from Inuyasha's mouth as his skull slammed into the concrete wall, and his organs felt as if they were ground up from the inside out as Naraku's roots drilled into him even further than before, ripping his body apart like paper. Inuyasha recoiled in tremendous amounts of pain, with the upper half of his body snapping off and falling to the ground. His lower torso and legs splattered next to his head, and the Tetsusaiga was knocked away into the distance, transforming back into its useless form.

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"Na..... ra..... ku....." Inuyasha's last thoughts went through his mind just before he was torn apart by Naraku's roots with blood and foul smelling guts littering the ground of the courtyard. Inuyasha felt nothing but destruction upon his own soul and failure beyond recognition as a mental picture of him plunging into an ocean of darkness, never to be seen or heard from again.

Inuyasha gasped for air but no matter how much he struggled he could not breathe or reach the surface in time. Bubbles rose from his mouth as his lungs were invaded by heavy pressurized water, his body sinking like a rock at fast pace that he couldn't fight. Drawing deeper and deeper to the blackness of no return, that was when he lost all hope and let destiny take his life away to what awaited at the bottom.

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"Inuyasha? Kagome? Shippo? Miroku? If any of you can hear me... please... answer me! Please... Where is everyone?" Sango's voice rang out.

Sango aimlessly walked down the dirt pathway set somewhere in the wilderness, the location unknown and unfamiliar to her senses. All sorts of various flowers and vegetation were beautifully grown all over the quiet field, and a gentle breeze gave the scene a calming but suspicious feel.

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"This is too strange for words! I felt as if I woke up from a long and deep sleep, only to open my eyes and find myself standing here. And what's weird still... no matter how much I think about it I can't recall what caused me to be here." Sango thought to herself, anxious to know how she was transported to this place without finding Inuyasha or any other of her friends. She knew deep down in her heart what she experiencing couldn't quite be real, but her mind fought for the acknowledgement of digging to find what was deeper in this presumed dream.

"This has to be a dream. Things aren't right at all..." Sango lightly ran ahead, looking up and taking note that there was no blue skies above, only pitch black darkness. The further she ran along, the more eerie the area became, as the tall grass and flowers began to wilt and die into dry cracked sand. Time felt as if it pushed itself into fast forward, with everything turning of old age until Sango suddenly realized she was in a totally different place.

"Now what?" Sango asked. Peering into the darkness, she saw a lone figure standing still. It appeared to be a female, the shapely body wearing clothing similar to Sango's civilian clothing, except with reversed colors. Sango's eyes perked up when she noticed that the figure also possessed a Hiraikotsu as well, only that the edges of the weapon were more jagged and had a more evil design to it compared to hers.

"Who... who's there? Answer me! Who are you? Identify yourself." Sango called out to the long black haired female.

"Why, Sango. How can you ask me such a question when you clearly know who I am?" the person said, slowly turning around to reveal an exact look alike of Sango herself. The deep voiced clone showed off a malicious smile, staring straight into Sango's eyes. The eye contact alone sent a small chill through Sango's spine. She took a step back, unsheathing her sword and pointing the blade at her imposter.

"What kind of devilish trickery is this? There is no way that you could possibly share the same face and appearance as me!" Sango said, confused. "Are you some sort of a creation of Naraku's? Tell me!" she demanded, ready to kill the clone.

"Not a creation of the puppet master you seek to murder, Sango. As you can clearly see with your own two human eyes... I am _you_. The same face... the same voice... the same traits and skills as a warrior. All except for one major difference. I do not suffer from the guilt of having betrayed and abandoned my younger brother, Kohaku." Imposter Sango accused.

"What!? How dare you say that I abandoned Kohaku! I would NEVER do such a thing. I would give my very life just to save his. It was Naraku responsible for goading my family to his castle where he knew he could easily slaughter us using the same demons he created for us to kill. All he wanted was for me to murder Inuyasha in hopes of having both him and I eliminated. I swear by my own soul that I won't rest until I save Kohaku from Naraku, that is why I live and breathe today. You blasphemous witch!" Sango said with her blood pressure boiling.

"You poor excuse for a sister. Actions speak louder than words. If you truly loved and cared for him, wouldn't you have rescued him from Naraku's clutches by now? You could have prevented the poor boy from relying on a single sacred jewel shard as the key to his life support. You do know that is the only thing that keeps him alive even now. Time is against you as we speak." Imposter Sango said with the most dead set expression in her voice.

"Quiet!" Sango whipped her hand through the air. "If Naraku hadn't taken over his will that day none of this would have ever happened. Its not my brother's fault that he no longer has a memory of who he once was or even who I am at that. But by God if it means having not to remove the shard from his body than so be it. I won't be held accountable to be forced to take away the only thing that means the difference between his life and death."

"Don't bring yourself into denial. You very well know the inevitable will happen, and when the time comes you will have to kill Kohaku if you very well want that jewel shard in the future. Isn't that your goal? To restore the Shikon Jewel to its original form? Even it means killing your own brother to do it?!" Imposter Sango said with a striking force, making Sango's heart stop with the realization of the truth.

"Shut up! You're not me! We may have the same looks but we do NOT share the same ambitions. If anything you're the true monster trying to damage my psyche of guilt. I've been down that road numerous times already, and haven't you considered the fact that I've pictured myself as a burden to my friends? I wasn't too keen on joining them initially because I was too much into my own problems. I wanted to save Kohaku whatever the chances were, but after putting Inuyasha and the others in danger I now realized that this wasn't the way for me to fight. As long as my friends were right behind me it gave me the confidence to keep fighting without my head in the clouds. But rest assured if it means losing my life just to save the people I care about, then that's perfectly fine with me." Sango's voice shook with anger and sadness mixed together.

"How touching... but its quite a disappointment that the lies that roll off your tongue are obviously a front for your real feelings. You know that you don't really have any concern for your so called friends. Your black heart knows it too. Why don't you give up and act upon your truest intentions?" Imposter Sango pressed, this time pushing Sango over the edge. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!" the cloned lifted her head and laughed into the sky.

Sango lifted her head up, her eyes burning bright and tears streaking down from them. "I've had it up to here with YOUR annoying lies, and I can't stand to hear it anymore from your disgusting voice! Die, you fake imposter! Raaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!" Sango drew her sword and ran up to her insinuating clone. The clone laughed madly and didn't even make the effort to defend herself just before Sango spared a single second in plunging her sword right into the clone's heart.

"Guhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Imposter Sango gurgled as a fountain of blood sprayed out of her chest and squirted onto Sango's face and clothes. Sango gritted her teeth in satisfaction of turning the sword and pushing deeper into her clone's chest cavity, watching the imposter's laughing face curl into a creepy sneer of evil.

"Ha!!! Next time instead of trying to poorly imitate someone learn how to fight the way they do." Sango remarked, watching the imposter's body beginning to melt into a mixture of smoke and skeletal wax remains. It was then that she heard a voice call out from the mouth of bloody mass.

"S... sis... ter.... Help...." the voice murmured in Sango's ears, repeating endlessly. "Sister... help... me..."

"What? Who... who is..." Sango's lips quivered as she saw what was former her clone's dying body take the perfect form of her brother, Kohaku. The young freckle faced boy donned in his demon slayer outfit stared up Sango with disbelief, his eyes lowering to the blade pierced through his chest. Kohaku's face turned pale, his left hand trembling as it rose toward his sister's cheek.

"S... Sango... how... how could... you... I thought... you were my... sister..." Kohaku sputtered, with blood dripping down the side of his mouth. Sango was horribly mortified at the sight of what she has done, trying to pull out her sword from her brother's body but a strange force did not permit her to do so.

"No... KOHAKU! NO! I didn't mean... How could I have... done this!?" Sango said, her vision turning into a blur of confusion and sickness. She wanted to let out a scream of remorse but no sound came out, as the shock overwhelmed her entirely due to the fact that the image of her slaying her own brother was too much for her mind to compute. Her grip on the handle of her sword loosened, and she stumbled back and fell to the ground on her side.

"You killed me..." Kohaku muttered. "...... and left me... alone to die!" Kohaku glared down at Sango. The blood loosely flowed down the blade of the sword he was impaled with, yet Kohaku remained still without the evidence of him feeling any resulting pain. "And now... you will soon... know what its like... to die... the loneliest death..."

"K... Kohaku! Stop! I didn't... mean to hurt you! What are you doing!? STOP!" Sango gasped, as she was defenseless at the sight of seeing her brother lift his chain blade weapon over his head. The puddle of red liquid at the child's feet soaked into the fabric of his boots, with the ripple shooting forth to the edges from each drop that hit its surface.

"The loneliest and most horrible death!" Kohaku yelled, as he drove the chain blade down onto his older sister. A jolt of an internal spark shot through Sango's body the moment she saw the razor sharp blade line up directly with her eyes. She raised her hand desperately, her heart pumping a thousand beats per second to prevent the worst of what was going to happen.

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"KOHAKU!!! STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sango's last words sent an ear shattering echo. But it was too late as she was decapitated by the swooshing blade, her screams ending in a short unintelligible gurgle for air. Her headless body slumped down onto its back with her arms spread out and her soft lifeless fingers twitching out of a spasm, stained with the rushing geyser of blood that shot out of her neck at a steady and constant rate. Soon the entire ground was soaked with blood and nothing else, and in mere moments Sango's body was submerged deep into the heavy red watery haze of death. Bubbles rose up from where she was once was, but of course there was no breathing to be the cause of it.

The echo of her words still carried through the air somewhere, but failing to hit Kohaku's conscience before it could prevent him from murdering his only sister. But why that could not be done was simply because Kohaku himself was not the real person Sango was coaxed into believing so, as the young boy's true form had been revealed into the little girl known as Kanna. Kohaku's essence disappeared into nothing with Kanna taking his place, holding her precious mirror in her hands as she stared into its amazing reflection.

She blinked not once but twice, lowering her head without uttering a word when knowing well that she was successful with the point of her entire plan coming to fruition. Kanna vanished into thin air, leaving a large continuous ripple in the crimson colored water she previously waded in.

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Inuyasha and Sango's combined cries were locked inside of the energy void they were trapped in, unable to move because of the barrier's restriction as they had their souls slowly sucked into Kanna's mirror.

"Now... that I have what I require... give your soul to me. Die in your dreams and release your spirits into my mirror." Kanna said softly, watching the souls of her two victims floating straight over to the glass of her mirror. The emptiness of her own spirit jumped with a nonexistent excitement as she was finally about to complete the task that she had been given by Naraku long ago. But before she could leave the soulless bodies of Inuyasha and Sango behind, Kanna felt a very powerful presence from behind her.

"What...? Who is there?" Kanna turned her head slightly in time to see the blinding light aura of an enchanted arrow fly into the area and collide right into her mirror, its impact immediately destroying it. Several shards of shining glass exploded in Kanna's face, cutting into her frail little hands and making tiny bloody tears onto her face. Kanna let out a surprised gasp, her eyes opening wide as she saw the formerly trapped souls return to Inuyasha and Sango's bodies.

"No! This can't be..." Kanna whispered, looking back at the section where she felt the arrow come from. She saw that the arrow had broken the black barrier she had set up before, and the entire environment reverted back to its original appearance, the black and white colors shimmering away and restoring order to the land.

Kanna was now rendered powerless, since she had no surrounding miasma to give her the ability to will it to reassemble the mirror. Stricken with a low case of heart pounding panic, she saw yet another arrow emerge from one of the trees and slash across her shoulder and chest, tearing her yukata and sending a burning sensation through her body. Knowing that if one of the arrows hit her again with fair accuracy she could be killed from the overbearing pure energy.

"I failed..." Kanna said, then vanished into thin air with great haste. With the demon adolescent girl now having escaped, the mysterious presence hidden from within the trees has also gone as well. With the black void having dissipated, Inuyasha and Sango were promptly released from its grasp. The pure energy from the arrow helped return all of their strength back to them, the nocturnal sounds of the night greeting them upon their coming to consciousness.

"Nnnghhh... Wh... what happened?" Inuyasha asked, pushing himself to his knees. "My head is killing me! I felt like I woke up from a really bad nightmare..."

"I feel the same way too. Uhhhh..." Sango groaned loudly. "Where's Kanna? Didn't she pull into some sort of void that made us experience these weird dreams? Or was I just imagining things?" Sango's body was trembling from the mental stress of the nightmare she just had. She gripped the blades from the patch of grass she lie on, ripping it up from the soil.

"I don't think it was a part of our imagination. I dreamed too... and... it all felt too real to me. I can't even begin to explain the images my mind saw when we were inside that damned void. As for Kanna... I don't see her anywhere!" Inuyasha replied, standing up and surveying the grounds. "And the barrier is gone too! What the hell happened just now? I don't get it at all!"

"Inuyasha, look!" Sango pointed. Inuyasha turned and followed her gaze to the single enchanted arrow that was stuck in the ground, its mystical blue sparkling energy surrounding it. Sango bent down and gently picked up the arrow. Inuyasha placed his Tetsusaiga back into its sheath and walked over to Sango to help examine it.

"Do you think... this is the answer to our questions?" Sango asked, her stressed eyes raising to meet Inuyasha's. Inuyasha used his nose to sniff the air, a heavy ghostly scent hitting him hard.

"Yes... I have no doubt in my mind at the very least that it was Kikyo who shot this arrow. Who else could it have been? Every inch of this forest is shrouded with her scent. It would be impossible for me to miss. She must have came here and used her bow to break the spell barrier Kanna had trapped us in. Taking a guess I'd say we we're quite lucky to be saved by her. But then again, what would she doing here of all places?" Inuyasha wondered.

"Could Kikyo have been following us? It can't be a coincidence." Sango said. "Its unusual for her to show up without any kind of direct confrontation... unless her intentions were different rather than from just saving us both. Her actions are getting more questionable each time."

"I don't know what she's up to either, Sango. But one thing is for sure, I have the strongest feeling that I won't be hearing the last of her anytime soon. This is the second time she's rescued me from danger. Yet I'm under the impression she was trying to help Naraku by giving him the Shikon Jewel. I don't understand what's going on anymore." Inuyasha said, staring up at the glowing crescent moon in the starlit sky.

"Kikyo, what exactly is it do you want? From any of us?" Inuyasha asked. The stars flashed rapidly as if they were trying to respond to his ongoing questions. From the slow evanescence of the enchanted arrow that lie in Sango's hands, the purified winds breathed a fresh new life into what was once a dead forest of lost souls. The soft rustling of a particular high priestess was heard between the bushes and the ectoplasm streams of the color blue was seen swaying through the air behind her, never to be seen again for the rest of that night.

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The End of Chapter 9.


	10. Tetsusaiga vs Toukijin: A Battle Between...

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 10: Tetsusaiga vs. Toukijin: A Battle Between Brothers

The imaginary clock of time struck a few minutes after ten with the break of day readily rising forth like a flower in the stage of its full bloom. Nature turned a new cheek for the end of the fall season by showering the land with its infinite amount of barren dry leaves that were shed from their trees in preparation for the wintertime. An odd calm of the air placed itself quietly in a stealth fashion, not truly giving any specific foreshadowing as to what events make take place on this very day.

A small girl who roughly appeared to about the age of eight or maybe a year or two older, ran at her own pace through the leaf scattered fields, the sound of her little feet pattering against the cold hard ground. The cute and carefree girl who was humming to herself a random tune, wore a red and white checkered kimono designed with large green circles intertwined with each other in pairs amongst the soft fabric. Her wild black hair flowed like a perfect rendition of the ocean out in the middle of the sea. Screaming with tranquil motion but rippling with the most violent of tides.

Rin was her name, as she approached a huge pile of leaves at the base of a big tree in the middle of the field. Laughing like an innocent child should without the corruption of any impurities swimming through her spirit, she bounced into the gathered leaves, sending up a rain of the dead brown and red petals into the air. She tucked herself into a small ball of human sincerity and rolled around the clean mess like a piglet in mud. Her kimono wasn't the least bit dirty and she lifted herself up to face the sky, taking a leaf in her hand and crushing it into dry ash. Enamored with the little bits she created she heard a high pitched voice call out to her in the distance.

"RIN! RIN! WAIT!!!" the voice called, catching Rin's attention. Her nose twitched when she saw a small imp like creature head toward her. After what seemed like nearly three whole minutes of the imp trying to cover the ground between he and Rin, he finally stopped himself to take a few much needed gasps of air. A big sweat drop rolled down the side of his head as he began to speak.

"Oh, Master Jaken! I'm sorry, I should've waited for you. I keep forgetting that you can't run as fast. For a little guy you physically act kinda old! Heh heh!" Rin said questionably.

"OLD!? I'll have you know that while I was born with the unfortunate stature of my small size, I vastly share a far greater deal of power than you shall ever witness in this lifetime!!!" Jaken yelled, before realizing that a heavy strain hit his chest and he had to stop talking to catch his breath, nearly fainting from the constant pursuing of Rin.

Jaken was a green skinned imp with large pale yellow eyes and black pupils, dressed in brown and gray robes. He also sported a black pointed hat atop his hairless scaly head, and in his hands he possessed a long staff decorated with some shrunken heads at the very top, which granted Jaken the ability to shoot forth steady streams of fire from the mystic weapon.

Although Jaken considered himself to be very powerful to hold his own against any normal human or lesser types of any demon he came across, he was actually the vassal to a much superior demon lord of immense strength, unrivaled tenacity and incredible intellect. Even though his life debt is owed to this particular demon, in reality Jaken found it _more_ stressful watching after this young girl on a constant basis to avoid having her fall to any kind of harm that may present itself. Jaken very well knew though, had he failed to protect Rin when his master was not around, the oh so once loyal vassal would no longer have a life to share in this world.

"I'm sorry, Master Jaken. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. But you are out of breath. Its too bad we don't have any water. It looks like you could really use it." Rin replied, getting up from the scattered leaf pile.

"What... *gasp* was your... *pant* first clue?" Jaken asked, gasping loudly as he felt his wind returning to him slowly. "I hear a grand waterfall lies north of here, but it will take quite a time to reach it by foot." Jaken commented, retaining his hold on the Staff of Heads.

"So should we wait? You really do seem parched, though. I don't think its a good idea to wait around here. Lord Sesshoumaru only left us an hour ago, didn't he? I don't know where he went but he said he had something to take care of. Was he talking about that weirdo talking tree he went to the last time?" Rin asked, a thoughtful expression beaming from her.

"What!? Don't you dare speak of the great Sesshoumaru-sama with such a brazen tongue, Rin! My master would never take abandon of us like that by not informing me of the exact location he seeks to go to! If it had been of any importance... uh, I mean, if it had required our presence Sesshoumaru-sama clearly would have requested for us to accompany him for the duration of the trip!" Jaken said in defense.

"Yeah, but I worry about him sometimes. Maybe we could ask him what's wrong, and he might tell us how he's been feeling." Rin said, her mind brimming with worry.

"Nonsense! Sesshoumaru-sama remains quite fine without our counseling. Now let us go ahead and find that oasis of thirst quenching water! I have no patience for your pointless and annoying questions!" Jaken said, irritated by Rin's naivety. He took the lead as Rin closely followed him until he sensed a presence appear right in front of him. Jaken looked up and gasped, and Rin smiled in appreciation.

"M... m... m... MASTER SESSHOUMARU!" Jaken stuttered idiotically.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, you've come back!" Rin squealed, she and Jaken were graced by the arrival of a strikingly handsome young demon with beautiful long silver hair and piercing golden eyes. It was Lord Sesshoumaru himself, Inuyasha's older brother by nearly 900 years of age.

Born a full blooded demon from under the wing of both his mother and his father Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru sported light purple double curved streaks on either side of his face and wrists. Atop his forehead lie a sign in the shape of a crescent blue moon that faced to its right, and his glistening outfit consisted of a full bodied white robe and a red pattern design at the shoulder area. Along with the robe itself it was complete with frontal black and gray armor that guarded his stomach and shoulders. From the edges of the armor dangled two red tassels and a long yellow sash tied around his waist that stretched down just a little past knee length. The right section of his shoulder guard was covered and hidden amongst the large fluffy material (presumed to be his tail) that partially shrouded his entire right side, its very tip at the end dangling past his black boots and wavering in the air like a serpent.

"Jaken. While I am not wholeheartedly unaffected by your overly concerned babble, you could have clearly learned some patience for my arrivals. Please refrain from making an utter fool of yourself furthermore than you already have." Sesshoumaru said in a dark but low tone as slowly walked up to Jaken and Rin. To Sesshoumaru's right followed a huge two headed dragon with pale gold skin named Ah-Un, who had served the full demon as a means of transportation over great distances.

"Ah-Un! Its only been an hour and I've missed you already!" Rin patted the strong looking beast on the head without fear.

"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama. Rin and I were just keeping ourselves occupied while we awaited your return. Have you found a suitable camping space before we move on, may I ask?" Jaken asked.

"No. Nor have I been able to discover any direct clues leading to Naraku's whereabouts. However, aside from that passive but much desired goal my main ambitions still lie within striking down the pure disgracefulness of my half breed brother, Inuyasha. His blood stains that of our demon family's heritage as a powerful force to be reckoned with. He still lives and from what I can gather at the most he still does not comprehend the full capabilities of his own mixed blood that causes him to transform to his full demon form." Sesshoumaru said calmly, staring off into the bright morning clouds.

"Yes, but now that you hold the spectacular and unrivaled power of the Toukijin sword, nothing will be able to stop you from slaying your enemies! Both Inuyasha and Naraku wouldn't be able to withstand the force of one swing from the mighty blade you keep!" Jaken reminded his master, as the focal point of the conversation moved to the two sheathed swords that were tied to the left of Sesshoumaru's waist sash. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes lowered to the handle of the Toukijin that visibly poked out, which had taken superiority to the second sword that was under it, the Tenseiga.

"Yes, Toukijin's power rivals that of Tetsusaiga, my brother's own sword. Although I've only had the chance to use it twice in a battle against him, my interest was sparked by Inuyasha's full demon transformation during the latter fight. Knowing that the sword is forged with the strongest of evil incarnations, with trained focus in combat it could possibly even outdo the Tetsusaiga itself... provided that its master can unlock every searing inch of power inside it. Its master capable of handling that sort of influence? Of course, it is I who holds the blade effortlessly in my hand." Sesshoumaru replied.

Toukijin, its meaning roughly translated as the "Fighting Demon God" or another, was forged by the sole disciple of Toutousai, a swordsmith named Kajinbou. Frustrated with having to scour the lands of Japan with such a useless and pitiful weapon that his father gave to him, Tenseiga, which had the power to save 100 lives in one swing, Sesshoumaru commissioned the assistance of Kajinbou to forge a sword from the fangs of Goshinki. Goshinki was the third incarnation of Naraku himself, but did not live very long after a confrontation with the full demon transformed Inuyasha. Inuyasha's transformation was triggered by his youki being released when Goshinki broke Tetsusaiga with one bite. Needless to say, this had increased Inuyasha's strength by tenfold, with him killing Goshinki in one bloody slash.

Upon smelling the scent of Inuyasha's new blood, Sesshoumaru had happened to walk upon Goshinki's slaughtered carcass. Sensing a strange aura from Goshinki's decapitated head, Sesshoumaru had taken it to Kajinbou himself. After some forced negotiation, Kajinbou agreed to make the sword out of Goshinki's fangs. Soon enough, upon returning to Kajinbou did Sesshoumaru realize the swordsmith was gone.

The newly forged sword dubbed Toukijin, had an evil aura so powerful that it had possessed Kajinbou in an attempt to slay Inuyasha in battle. However, soon enough Kajinbou was destroyed by the sword's increasing strength and proved too much for the lowly swordsmith to muster. With Inuyasha watching over Toukijin without making a move to touch its handle, only it was then that Sesshoumaru had eventually arrived and simply placed his hand on the blade.

Everyone was absolutely surprised for the fact that Sesshoumaru had appeared to be only one capable of handling Toukijin's evil aura, his touch unaffected by the mysterious lightning crackles that surrounded the blade. Whether Sesshoumaru's own power was more than enough or rather he was simply destined to wield Toukijin was questionable. But aside from that matter, now having cast the useless Tenseiga aside Sesshoumaru now held a weapon that could he fairly use in a fight against his half breed brother, or perhaps even holding a much bigger advantage than the sword he originally intended to claim, the Tetsusaiga.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken pondered, watching his master stand there in silence. The only sounds Jaken could hear was the soft giggling of Rin nearby and the gentle tweeting of the birds in the trees. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and turned around, walking away. His fluffy tail swayed behind him leaving a trail of quiet burning anger.

"Come. There is much to do this day. I want to once again test the limits of the Toukijin's power. I shall find Inuyasha and challenge him to a battle. If he has become any more of a well balanced strategist and fighter, then my expectations will be warranted greatly. I desire to prove that I am truly the one to hold the status of strongest among our family bloodline, not the half breed I do not dare to even thoughtfully consider to be a relative of mine." Sesshoumaru said.

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama! Wherever you lead I am sure the decisions you make will only be the correct ones! You've heard him, Rin!" Jaken said, running off to join his master.

"Um... okay! I guess... Hey, wait up!!! Wait for me!" Rin called, as she was lifted onto Ah-Un's back and carried off to join her friends. She laughed once more, bringing a heart warming happiness to the already gloomy scene.

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In a small mountainside close to the woods stood a tall waterfall upon a cliff. The sun's rays delivered a multiple row of blending lights as it bounced off the surface of the frothy blue water. The forceful tidal waves that rushed down the 50 feet drop at the edge of the fall were nothing to Inuyasha, who was standing right in the middle of the crashing torrential splashes.

The water continuously slammed down onto Inuyasha's back as he faced off against Kirara in a sparring practice match using the Tetsusaiga. Kirara rushed him a few times from the front and sides, and mixed up the strategies a little by strafing at a fast speed. Inuyasha swung his sword and caught Kirara a few times, nearly in a eight out of ten ratio. Kirara's heavy body slammed onto the surface of the watery grounds as Inuyasha came up and patted the feline on the head.

"Good job, Kirara. You make a great sparring partner. I can't say that I would have wished all my foes put up the same level of defense. Ah, well. We just have to keep practicing until we all get stronger. Its practically a requirement." Inuyasha said, hearing Kirara's growling in response.

Nearby the waterfall's coast, Sango was sitting on a rock as Miroku was tending to her wounds. Shippo was sitting cross legged on the grass a few feet away, flipping a spinning top between his hands.

"Nnnghh..." Sango groaned a bit, leaning forward after Miroku tied a large bandage around her ribs. Sango's arm was racked with pain, already taken care of by the monk a few minutes beforehand.

"Be careful not to move much, Sango. Your arm, ribs and leg are still broken from the battle with Kanna and you can't afford to push yourself to anything strenuous. I can't say how long the injuries will take to heal but the damage isn't heavily critical. But I'm afraid that should take it easy when it comes to walking." Miroku said, lightly putting on a second layer of bandages to cover Sango's lower ribs.

"Hmph..." Sango said nonchalantly, an extremely distant glaze in her eyes. Miroku frowned upon the situation, with him and Shippo feeling sorry for what happened to Inuyasha and Sango back in the woods the previous night. Although Miroku was told the gist of what occurred, he felt that both Inuyasha and Sango held back some information. Inuyasha resumed his usual attitude, but Sango herself was much more quiet than normal and seemed disbanded from the group ever since.

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"It pains me to see Sango this way. While I can also sense some hidden discontent from Inuyasha as well, its obvious that he would rather continue to move on and hold up the fort without causing any suspicion. But I can see it clearly with Sango. Something definitely happened during the battle with Kanna, and I'm hard pressed to find out what. But with her injuries it would seem quite insensitive of me to ask." Miroku thought, as he moved on to bandage Sango's arm.

"Ever since we came here, Inuyasha has been hard at work practicing with his Tetsusaiga. Its a great idea considering that Naraku will be trying to come up with more ways to hinder our progress. We have to be ready in any way possible." Sango said without basing too much emphasis on her words.

Miroku paused as if he was under the impression Sango could read his mind and try to indirectly reply to what he was thinking. He continued his treatment and put a gamble on what he was about to say next, the dice in his mind rolling for the lucky tone of shot.

"Inuyasha is improving with his fighting skills, that granted. The more fluent he is using the Tetsusaiga in a fight the chances of him tapping into his full power at will is all the more likely." Miroku said, his lips trembling nervously. "Sango?"

"Hm? What is it?" Sango turned, her hair flipping to the side. She wasn't particularly making eye contact with the monk.

"About last night. I can't help but think that there isn't something you've been telling me. You don't have anything to hide, no one is going to hold it against you for saying what's on your mind. Did something happen with Kanna more than what I was informed of? The same question I would ask Inuyasha also, but with his stubbornness I doubt I'll have the answers." Miroku queried as he fixed up bandaging Sango's arm.

"Why would you think I would not tell you all of the important details?" Sango snapped quickly, her eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing me of keeping something from you?"

"No, its not that, I'm just concerned about you, that's all. If you don't want to talk about it, then that is fine as well. I have no intention of playing the fool here. If it is a sensitive subject then it needs not be mentioned at the smallest." Miroku defended, waving his hands.

"Listen, Miroku! If I had anything to say I would have said it by now. None of my problems are any of your business, so just step off and go do something other than worrying about me every five seconds. All I required of you was for my wounds to be fixed, no more than that!" Sango said angrily, her mind still warped from that mentally scarring dream that Kanna had forced her to undergo last night.

It wasn't that Sango was being self absorbed, but the fact that the dream she experienced of murdering her own brother Kohaku was a subject she simply could not shake from her head. It seemed to had a long term effect on her than she expected, and even though she was aware it was all of Kanna's illusionary doing, it will take quite some time for her to recover from.

"Okay, Sango. I understand. I shall leave you alone for the time being." Miroku said, rising up and walking away. He himself was not angry because he half interpreted Sango's reaction beforehand, and he knew that he was moving into a sensitive territory she didn't want him to get within ten feet of unless she was in the mood to speak about it.

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"Come to think of it... my moves must be becoming rusty. I had a perfectly excellent chance to grope the forbidden soft flesh of Sango's luscious thighs had I made my approach from the front rather than the back. Perhaps in her state of mind she may have not noticed. But I shall persist when the next opportunity presents itself." Miroku closed his eyes as he walked, a small sweat drop appearing on the side of his head.

"Hey, Miroku! What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Sango again?" asked Shippo, getting up and following the monk.

"Nothing, Shippo. Just a matter of Sango not wanting to talk about a certain subject. When she is ready, she shall say what she has to." Miroku replied.

"Kanna's attack must have really did something to Inuyasha and Sango, although Inuyasha shows less signs of being distracted. I guess that's how he acts when he wants to get something off his mind. But Sango has more difficulty expressing herself." Shippo noted. "I just wish we were here at the time, but we were bringing Kagome back to Kaede's house so there's no way we could have helped them during the battle. I'm just glad they made it out of alive."

"Although there wasn't too much premise given on how they drove Kanna off. My curiosity rises even higher, but its something I won't press on either of the two of them." Miroku said, stopping at the coast and watching Inuyasha initiating a second sparring round with Kirara.

Meanwhile, Sango stared at Miroku from a few feet away. She punched her palm softly in regret for taking on such a nasty front with him earlier. She sighed loudly and slid herself off the rock, leaning her back against the hard surface and placing her crossed hands against the back of her head as her eyes scoured the morning sky. She squinted a little to shield her vision from the shining sun above.

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"I didn't mean to act so mean to him. Its hard for me to even THINK about the nightmare I had during that fight, let alone talk about. I know it only a setup by Kanna but still. It all felt so real. I had no idea that strange girl was capable of doing such a thing. That imposter in my dream was wrong about me. I would never betray my friends at the expense of any form of selfishness on my part. The only thing I would ever consider doing is giving my life to save that of Kohaku's if the situation called for it." Sango thought, letting out a tired sigh. She winced in pain as she exhaled, cursing her broken bones. 

__

"Look at me. I can't even breathe without taking a risk of dislocating one of my stupid ribs. That and I can't move an inch of my arm. I was so careless in trying to hit Kanna I had forgotten that she could deflect attacks if given the chance. I won't be able to fight for awhile since I can't move my arm very well. At least Inuyasha is still capable of fighting. I can't help but wonder what he's thinking about his dream. He had the courage to tell about his but I couldn't afford to talk about mine. Maybe I should just concentrate on other things. That nightmare didn't mean anything... although mentally I've experienced the biggest possible feeling of fear I've ever faced. Just as much as witnessing my family being killed right before my eyes." Sango thought. She rose up, her eyes twitching. She shook her head and held her hand to her face.

__

"No! I have to stop it. What good it is worrying about that right now? Inuyasha and the others need me. The important thing is we get to Mount Harunai in the next three days and find the Ringenkai Plant. That's all that matters right now..." Sango buried her head between her knees and shut her eyes, going into a state of silence.

"Poor Sango..." Miroku was watching her from the corner of his eye, and he sighed in return. He felt so ashamed of himself because he couldn't do anything to help Sango. To make matters worse she promptly shut his concerning comfort out when he offered it out of sincerity. Even if he were to say anything now it would totally defeat the purpose of his choosing the option to leave her be in the first place. Knowing that nothing would come of it until she was ready to console in him, Miroku calmed his nerves as he saw Inuyasha walk towards him.

"The Tetsusaiga is becoming more and more of a second nature fashion to use. Heh, I would train my swordsman skills more often if we weren't constantly fighting with every other demon across this whole countryside." Inuyasha said tiredly, his face worn with stress and fatigue.

"Granted, its times like this where I wish we didn't have to be involved in this predicament. It would do more good than harm." Miroku frowned.

"Yeah, but now what's wrong? Don't tell me some crap about being unable to find a suitable underage girl to have your kids again. I heard that excuse the last time you plastered that scowl on your face. You don't seem to be your usual self." Inuyasha said, stepping onto the coast and leaving a trail of wet footprints along the dry grass. 

Kirara transformed back into her smaller form, climbed out and ran over to where Sango was. Kirara nudged Sango in the knees, but she didn't budge much except for rising her head slightly to acknowledge that her feline pet was there.

"As is Sango. I'm worried about her, that's all. I can take a good guess that there was more to the battle with Kanna than what you originally told me." Miroku asked, hoping that Inuyasha would finally break down and tell him the truth.

"Hmph. Well, you're right about that. Sango is a little shaken up from the battle with Kanna. I can't say I'm not too happy either myself. During the fight somehow she trapped us both in some sort of weird void where not only did she try to steal our souls, she had our minds envision these terrible nightmares, if you could call them that. I honestly felt as if I was actually there, from the scenes I've seen." Inuyasha said, sheathing his Tetsusaiga and staring down onto the rushing water in front him.

"Visions that felt real? Kanna may have used some very powerful mysticism to achieve something like that. It sounds like she attempted to mess with the both of you psychologically rather than physically. The perfect distraction while using that mirror of hers to lock your resistance." Miroku folded his arms.

"But what did you see in the visions? Nothing too scarring, I hope." said Shippo.

"I saw things I would never want to witness ever again in this lifetime. I saw Kagome... she was lying in a pool of her own cold blood, killed by the poisonous seed that grew within her body. I broke down thinking that I failed to save her. I was devastated I couldn't even move let alone accept the fact that I let such a thing happen to her. That was when I saw Naraku, formed by an dreamt up illusion no doubt." Inuyasha said.

"Sounds exactly like the kind of ploy Kanna would pull. I can imagine how shocking the dream must have been... if it were to produce an event neither one of us would never want to take as the truth. But that's what it is. It was an illusion. No more, no less. Rest assured Kagome will be safe where she is currently. Naraku will have no idea as to where she is, although they'll question her absence. As long as we keep track of our task, then there's nothing to fear of." Miroku said.

"I'm not gonna give up no matter what. Let Naraku send his worst at me! He'd only be disappointed in the end because I'll just as easily slice right through whatever minions he enlists with my Tetsusaiga. Now that I've taken the time to improve with it, maybe I'll have the upper edge from now on." Inuyasha said, unable to stay still. He turned his back and took a few steps away from his monk friend, shaking drops of water from the leg of his pants.

"I agree, but it is also wise for a warrior to remember to never underestimate his opponent. While one man can prove his strength there will always someone much stronger. Your Tetsusaiga isn't a tool used for fighting but it can become the strongest weapon if you learn how to control and properly manipulate the entire source of its power. Its easy to defend with a sword but in turn it can be difficult to master all the aspects of it." Miroku advised.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know all about that. Do me a favor, Miroku. Please try not to become a replacement for that old fart Toutousai, will you? You're starting to sound exactly like him. The only difference is that you're younger and a high class pervert." Inuyasha said, picking up the top half of his red outfit and slinging it over his shoulder as he walked off. "Come on, let's move it!"

"He's quite the tactful listener, isn't he?" said Miroku in a sarcastic tone.

"I guess with all of the fighting and stress of worrying about Kagome, Inuyasha doesn't want to think much of anything else." Shippo replied lightly.

----------------------------------------

Inuyasha and his allies were soon walking along the edge of the running river. The constant loud noise of the passing water kept Inuyasha's mind at peace and focused at the same time. Although his body was somewhat uncooperative and tired out, that didn't stop his own demeanor from changing. Upon refining his fighting tactics he felt more confident in his skills, and perhaps he even discovered a new surge of power from within the Tetsusaiga than he ever did before.

"We're almost there, guys. I can see a valley up ahead, so maybe we'll find a carriage like you've been talking about before." Inuyasha said to Miroku.

"It'll be a good sign if that rings true. Besides, after capturing the gratitude in the hearts of the villagers, not only will we hitch ourselves a ride but this can provide some time for Sango to recover a little longer." Miroku said, helping Sango walk along as her leg was shot with pain.

"I don't want to be a burden on any of you. We really should keep moving along if you're successful at finding transportation. The longer we dawdle the less time we have to get to Mt. Harunai." Sango said, groaning faintly as she walked. "I can do fine on my own. I'd say within a while I should be able to move normally."

"But Sango, you're still badly hurt! At least let the town's doctor help you when we get there. If trouble starts brewing you could be vulnerable." Shippo said.

"I know, but... things are bad enough as it is." Sango quieted down, her eyes lowering to the ground. At the moment she felt very responsible for the group's every action and her mind was still a bit shaken from the mere thoughts of her brother, Kohaku.

"Don't worry, we'll make time. I'm sure whoever is good with medicine can help you easily. You've come back from worse things, and you certainly have the most tenacity out of all of us." Inuyasha commented with warmth. Sango smiled a little, at least knowing that he and the others cared for having her injuries taken care of as soon as possible.

"Thank you, Inuyasha..." Sango whispered, seeing her dog demon friend respond back with a small grin of his own. However, that look was quickly wiped off of Inuyasha's face as she saw him take a fast sniff of the air. 

"What is it!? Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked. The monk's awareness was alerted as well. The clouds seemed to have taken on a darker tone than normal, and the still of the wind was nonexistent and deader than accompanying aura that slowly encroached upon the riverside, setting a cold vicious calamity amongst the land.

Inuyasha's heightened senses picked up on it almost immediately, and found the resulting reactions unfavorable. He knew this aura too well and in a thousand years he would have never guessed of it incorrectly no matter how many times one would ask of it. Every time he smelled that scent he wished it would be the last encounter with the person it belonged to. His determination shot to a new level and his blood flowed through his veins with amazing prowess.

"The air... the air is dull of all sudden. The skies are gray and the wind has stopped still. I may only be able to hear the waves of the river... but I know the cause of it!" Inuyasha snapped his head up and his suspicion was deemed correct as he glared angrily at the tall white haired man that appeared way up in the sky before the group, mounted on his two headed dragon demon. It was his older brother, Sesshoumaru making a distinctive but swift entrance along with his two associates, Jaken and Rin.

__

"Sesshoumaru!!!" Inuyasha growled heatedly as he watched his evil next of kin lower to the ground in front of he and his friends. Sesshoumaru's presence from the skies seemed to be heavenly but only passionate hatred for his little brother stemmed from the glazed serenity in his eyes.

"Oh no! Now what does he want?" Sango narrowed her eyes.

"G... great! J... just great! Just when things couldn't get any worse he decides to show up!" Shippo panicked, his forehead breaking out in a hot sweat.

"Stay on guard! This is a fight that we might not be able to avoid!" Miroku said, gripping his staff.

Leaping off of Ah-Un, Sesshoumaru's feet hit the bare stone floor with a silent tap. His yellow sash and white shoulder tail was blown to the side by an invisible gentle breeze, and his silver hair sparkled in the center of the sun's rays from the clouds.

"Inuyasha. How astute to have encountered you here of all places. I had expected more of a suitable background to relinquish in the event of your inevitable death by my hand. Still you remain with the weakling humans you laughably deem your allies? It should not come to me as much of a surprise." Sesshoumaru began, his eyes locked onto Inuyasha's.

"Heh! Its always the same with you, isn't it? Pointlessly trying to start trouble when the odds always turn against you, so instead you hide behind the status of establishing yourself into a high talker with sorry fighting skills and the arrogance of a jackass to go along with it. Why don't you just give it up and keep walking, Sesshoumaru? It'll save you another embarrassing defeat." Inuyasha insulted, taking a few strides forward and stopping still with defiance in his voice.

"Cease this annoying drivel. I seek nothing more than to shed your blood. This battlefield shall mark the end of your life as I strike your inferior half demon shell of a body down with the ultimate dark power of my blade... the blade of the Toukijin." Sesshoumaru replied as he slowly drew his Toukijin from its sheath, the long pointed blade shimmering like a light at the end of a pitch black tunnel.

"Toukijin... Inuyasha has to be extremely careful if is he to tangle with Sesshoumaru using it against him." said Sango in a weary tone.

"Yes, Toukijin's aura alone is powerful and Inuyasha was close to bested by it in their last battle about half a month ago... But even with Inuyasha being more focused upon this fight I'm afraid to even try to predict how things will turn out. Sesshoumaru has an even chance of winning just as much as Inuyasha this time around with such a devilish sword." Miroku said in reluctance.

"Come on, Miroku! We have to put all of our faith in Inuyasha! We can't start having second thoughts now! Don't say things like that, because you're scaring me!" Shippo scolded, honestly hoping that Inuyasha would win. Kirara growled with uncertainty, and the group quieted down and watched the confrontation ensue.

"You called it, and now you're going to regret you ever made that lame proposition. You happened to catch me in a not so great mood so nothing will entertain me more than spilling your bloody guts all the way across the ground." Inuyasha reached down unsheathed his Tetsusaiga, its rusty and chipped blade converting into a massively sharp fang with a tuft of fur hanging from its hilt. He swung the blade through the air twice and took his stance. Inuyasha felt a strong pang of newfound power shoot through his body, himself and the sword he held sparkle with a reddish kind of light.

"My lord! My lord!" Jaken hopped off of Ah-Un and ran up to Sesshoumaru's side. "Forgive my intrusion but Inuyasha seems to be giving off an unusual glow of strange energy! I can see it, and its something out of all the encounters I've never quite witnessed before. Has he unlocked some sort of potential in his half demon blood? A kind of potential that could very well pose a threat to your unsolicited greatness?" Jaken nervously asked.

"Nonsense, Jaken. Despite what deception as to which your eyes have cast, I am not either impressed or necessarily concerned with this power that courses through this half breed's body. I have nothing to fear and never will. Claiming the victory of this day will only assure my conclusions of who will remain the superior sibling of our family feud." Sesshoumaru said, his empty left sleeve blowing to the side as he held Toukijin with his only remaining right hand.

"But... my lord!" Jaken protested, but then stopped himself upon noticing that his master would hear no more upon seeing him shift his eyes back to the matter at hand. Jaken backed away and stood by near Rin and Ah-Un, wishing that his warning didn't go unheeded.

__

"What am I thinking?! Of course Lord Sesshoumaru suspects Inuyasha's uncanny amount of strength. If my lord was already unaware of the situation then naturally he would have used the best of judgement to be more cautious. But what does he have to fear? With Toukijin, Sesshoumaru-sama is completely invincible!" Jaken thought.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were exactly six feet apart from each other, both siblings having drawn their weapons and their eyes locked in the same line of sight. The blood of both brothers rushed with adrenaline just a mere amount of moments before the fight began, the excitement and satisfaction of gratuitous violence delivering the best sustenance to either one's endless hunger for power. Then in a flash, the two of them started to fight at last, zooming forth in a straight line at each other.

The ultra loud clang of the Tetsusaiga and Toukijin shot through the air as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru locked swords, either of them feverishly trying to gain the upper hand over the other. Toukijin's blade sparked with a strange electricity that send a shiver through the Tetsusaiga and Inuyasha himself, making him jolt backwards. However Inuyasha pressed right back with his own strength, his blade resisting Toukijin's impending energy and pushing Sesshoumaru back quite a bit.

"What!?" Sesshoumaru gasped from the sudden recoil.

"That's not all there is!!! HYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" Inuyasha swung his Tetsusaiga and slammed it with an immense force into Sesshoumaru's sword, sending hundreds of sparks everywhere and a shooting stream of hot white energy behind the blade's afterimage. The unexpected force sent Sesshoumaru sprawling backwards but he held his ground as he skid along the ground, his feet making two trenches along the gravel.

"HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!" Inuyasha came at the defending Sesshoumaru with another powerful strike, the Tetsusaiga bouncing off the Toukijin's blade once again. Inuyasha quickly dashed forward and tried to deliver a fast punch to Sesshoumaru's chin, but the narcissist anticipated the attack and promptly dodged it by leaning to the left.

"Damn! I almost had him!" Inuyasha cursed under his breath, falling forward from the missed punch.

"That is one of your several downfalls. Too slow." Sesshoumaru's emotionless face flashed in a mere moment just before actually throwing the Toukijin up into the air and grabbing Inuyasha's wrist. As Sesshoumaru tried to yank the Tetsusaiga out his brother's grasp, poison leaked from his claws and sent a searing pain through Inuyasha's arm.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!" Inuyasha winced as he felt the incredible burning sensation zapping around in his wrist. He began to buckle down on one knee, his vision blurring as a result of the seeping and intoxicating fumes. Struggling to break free, he felt his grip on the Tetsusaiga loosen. "No!!! I can't... let him win..." Inuyasha gasped hard.

"I am thoroughly disappointed that this fight had to end so quickly as it had started. Your moves are becoming that of an inexperienced warrior, more and more foolishly predictable in each following fight. You would be wise to give in before losing your arm just for the sake of protecting the Tetsusaiga." Sesshoumaru warned, his poison wading through Inuyasha's wrist as the flesh slowly turned purple. Any more than another minute and the flesh would deteriorate and rot if Inuyasha held on any longer.

"Sorry, asshole. I wouldn't be so quick to do something so stupid! _BLADES OF BLOOD!!!_" Inuyasha yelled as he tore his claw into his chest and threw a sharp mess of bloody blades directly into Sesshoumaru's eyes, temporarily blinding him.

"Nnnghhhhhhh!!!!!" Sesshoumaru groaned, releasing his grasp on Inuyasha's wrist and stumbling backwards from the sudden attack.

"Yes!!! He managed to get away from Sesshoumaru's poison claws!" Shippo cheered.

"It was good thinking on Inuyasha's part. Any moment longer and the poison would have taken its full effect." Miroku noted.

"Oh and how the mighty have fallen!!! _IRON REAVER!!!!!_" Inuyasha yelled, giving chase and slashing his claw in three wide arcs, directly slashing Sesshoumaru hard in the chest and face, knocking him ten feet away into the ground. Sesshoumaru let out a faint moan as he skid against the gravel, the front of his armor guard cracked and the side of his face damaged with three bloody slashes.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!! Lord Sesshoumaru is hurt!!!" Rin cried, holding her hands to her face.

Inuyasha tried to follow up with a pursuing jumping kick but Sesshoumaru leapt straight up into the air, the blur of his body moving faster than a streak of lightning as he caught the falling Toukijin that he had thrown up a few moments earlier.

"Now you die." Sesshoumaru said, slashing Toukijin through the air and releasing an extremely powerful amount of sword pressure, which was more than enough to send an invisible ray of energy at Inuyasha. Inuyasha dodged the attack as the ground erupted into a mighty explosion of dirt and debris. Inuyasha rolled off to the side and Sesshoumaru performed a second slash, sending down another bout of air pressurized energy.

The second wave had covered a wider radius of the ground and blew an unbelievable force of energy, causing another resulting explosion and blowing Inuyasha away like a rag doll swept up in a tornado, the energy sparks tearing into his clothes and skin all over his body.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha screamed as he flew past the dust cloud, disappearing into the falling rain of rocks as the wind had also taken its toll on the spectators of the fight.

"Get down!!!" Miroku said, covering Sango from the flying debris. Kirara picked up Shippo and evaded a crashing rock right where the fox boy was previously standing.

"Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I like this anymore than I did before!!!!" Shippo wailed, frightened by the overwhelming power that Sesshoumaru represented with Toukijin.

"AYIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" Jaken yelled, flying away amongst the current of the winds. "Sesssshhhhhhouuuuuumaruuuuuuuu-saaaammmmaaaaaaaaa!!! He could have at least provided us enough ample time to flee if he was going to use that powerful kind of attackkkkkkk!!!! HELPPPPPPPP!!!!" Jaken screamed, flailing his arms up and down. He then suddenly realized that while it felt he was whipping through the air he was actually floating still.

"Huh!?" Jaken looked down, then turned his head and saw Rin smiling at him. Rin was holding him by the cloth of his back, apparently catching him just before he flew off into the distance.

"You're funny, Master Jaken. Why are you so scared? Lord Sesshoumaru is winning against that mean man! You should be cheering along!" Rin laughed. Ah-Un turned their heads and roared.

"Um... Yes! I was just joking around, you fool!" Jaken replied out of embarrassment. "I was only keeping watch for our own safety while Sesshoumaru-sama goes on to destroy Inuyasha with his unmatched strength!"

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was lying on the ground beside his Tetsusaiga, covered in bloody gashes. Weakened by the blows of Toukijin, he groaned as he tried to get up. Blood flowed down the middle of his face from a cut on his head, sinking into his eyes and making him see the field in a bright shade of red.

"Nnnnghhh.... damn it. This is why I can't afford to take too much a gamble whether I'm at close or far range with this guy. With that sword he's capable of making the most powerful of attacks, and they're much faster than my eyes can follow. I was lucky I didn't even get caught up in the first explosion. The second one definitely would have finished me if I was hit by both." Inuyasha muttered, rising on one foot. The top half of his red kimono was cleanly ripped off, leaving part of his white undergarment visible and overall caked with fresh blood. "Man, this is a bitch."

Inuyasha glared at Sesshoumaru in a red haze, watching him land onto the ground and walk towards him. Sesshoumaru held Toukijin in his hand, the blade still mystified with its dark and evil energy. Inuyasha could have sworn that he had seen smoke in the form of actual skulls eroding from the tip of the blade, but perhaps it was his own imagination toying with him.

"Inuyasha. You are already severely weakened. Evidently you no longer contain the strength required to fight, and it would ease my conscience to know I have slayed my brother in terms of his concession to me. Save yourself the trouble and die softly. Your Tetsusaiga will deem you an utmost unattainable victory." Sesshoumaru said, holding Toukijin to his side as he slowly glided towards his fallen brother.

"Heh heh... blab on all you want, Sesshoumaru. If talking your opponent to death is your way of achieving a so called victory than you clearly forgot what its like to do it the right way. I guess I kicked your conceited ass so many times I guess your brain totally missed the original concept from the constant abuse." Inuyasha said while retrieving his Tetsusaiga.

"Foolish whelp. You have been offered mercy twice. I do not plan on making such a ridiculous bout out of useless and uncalled for compassion for my enemies." Sesshoumaru said, slashing the Toukijin through the air once again, the sheer force punching Inuyasha in the face, stomach, and legs as his body tumbled along the dirt and plunged into the crashing river.

"INUYASHA!!!" Sango cried, breaking away from Miroku and trying to run to where Inuyasha had fallen, but the monk grabbed and held her back. "Miroku, what in the devil's name are you doing!? Let me go! We have to help Inuyasha!"

"No, Sango! You can't go in your condition! Sesshoumaru will only end up killing you outright with just one slash of the Toukijin. I can't let you go and risk your life!" Miroku said.

"I'd rather risk my life to save any of my friends than rather just stand idly by and watch them die! What the hell is wrong with you, Miroku! Instead of talking we could be helping Inuyasha beat that horrid beast..." Sango smacked away Miroku's arm, her eyes burning with fire.

"Man... I don't know what to do, either! I want to help Inuyasha too!" Shippo said, clenching his fist.

"I'm sorry, Sango... Shippo. But you have to understand." Miroku said, as he turned his gaze to Sesshoumaru who was approaching the river. "This is a battle between brothers. Inuyasha would have wanted us to stay back so he could handle this fight on his own. While he and Sesshoumaru fought a few times in the past, each Inuyasha has always come out alive. Trust in me, I want to help Inuyasha too... but I can sense a very strong will within him right now, and its building gradually as the fight is progressing."

"Easy for you to say. Who's say that Inuyasha won't survive now that Sesshoumaru has Toukijin? You saw the damage that sword could unveil, so now you're giving me some crap about an honorary battle? Don't you see? This isn't about any goddamned honor! This is a fight to the death, if not one of the most dangerous grudges anyone's ever shared." Sango pressed back, her eyes becoming watery.

Shippo himself was far too overcome with anger and sadness to say anything, as he could relate to Sango's worries and pain. Miroku ground his teeth, his mind darting back and forth between what he should and shouldn't do.

__

"I would just as much jump into the battle as well... but with Sesshoumaru's high proficiency with Toukijin, would we even be able to get close enough to even as so much make an assault?" Miroku thought.

Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru had reached the coast of the river where Inuyasha's bloody body lay. Inuyasha's desperation and anger had started to roll into one element, and he felt the red aura shine around him again. He heard a strange whining sound calling to him from the Tetsusaiga, as he turned his head slightly to stare at the water drenched blade. Inuyasha's amber eyes lit up and his pupils trembled. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, each beat pumping in rhythm to the sound of Tetsusaiga's song.

__

"What's... this surge of strength I'm feeling again? Is it coming from the Tetsusaiga? Or is it something that I'm causing myself?" Inuyasha pondered, his hand reaching for the sword and grabbing onto its worn handle. He then fixated his eyes ahead of him as he sensed the presence of his brother staring down at him.

"Look at you. You are truly a disgrace in the light of our father. It was purely an miscalculated ethical mistake for him to have blessed you with the almighty blade of the Tetsusaiga, while I was forced to accept the inheritance of the Tenseiga. However, that minor dispute has long settled amongst my protest as you can clearly see that I now hold the stronger blade. You were a fool to think that you could defeat Toukijin, as you've never stood a ghost of a chance." Sesshoumaru taunted.

"Fuck... you..." Inuyasha coughed up the words, blood splashing down his cheek.

"Your unruly impudence disgusts me to a medium. But now you shall die only to leave behind a nameless legacy that you have stained with the shame of your half breed existence." Sesshoumaru raised the Toukijin into the air above his head, about to finish Inuyasha off. Suddenly, he paused as he felt a spark of energy shoot past him. "What!?"

For that brief open window of opportunity, Inuyasha leapt up from the water and swung his Tetsusaiga with all of his strength, the blade plowing right into Sesshoumaru's chest with a force so powerful the volume pitch alone of the attack shattered his armor. The blade cut deep through the fabric and tore right into Sesshoumaru's flesh, dark red blood spraying like a geyser out of the wound.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sesshoumaru cried, his eyes widening. The speed of Inuyasha's attack was so fast Sesshoumaru could not even see the split second movement of his brother rising from the watery depths. Jaken and Rin watched with shock as they their master stumble back while clutching his wound.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! How was that low class demon Inuyasha able to strike the great lord so fast and hard without anyone ever seeing it?!" Jaken yelled, infuriated.

"I didn't see it either! Faster than Lord Sesshoumaru? There's no way! But... I... I don't want him to lose!" Rin stammered.

Sesshoumaru reeled sideways, notwithstanding the brutal slash he endured. His shut eyes opened to reveal his eyes flashing red for a second as he twisted around in mid air and broke his fall again by holding out his Toukijin and pressing the blade into the dirt. He landed on his feet with the absolute grace of a ballerina, clutching the bleeding wound with his only hand.

__

"Tch! How can this be? Even with my speed and awareness I could not see that attack of Inuyasha's coming. Although I can only conjure the mere assumption that it was possibly the Tetsusaiga responsible for this sudden outburst of strength. But specifically speaking, what's more as to why is this happening?" Sesshoumaru thought, his face lacking any kind of expression even though he was badly hurt. Blood snaked its way down his cracked armor plate and sash, staining the legs of his robes a dark crimson color.

"Had enough, Sesshoumaru? I'm surprised. With an attack like that you should be on your knees crying for your life." Inuyasha breathed while surrounded by the bright red aura. Despite all of his injuries he remained steadfast and strong, determined to win.

__

"It would be a danger to fight at close range. So I must maintain my distance in case I may not be able to read the rest of his moves." Sesshoumaru thought. The silver haired demon then proceeded to retake the Toukijin and gauged his proximity by moving backwards, far away from Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru's body itself barely moved in the blur as he jumped back, remaining in the exact same standing position he was in before. Putting the Toukijin back into its sheath, Sesshoumaru raised his right hand and a neon green light twinkled from the sharp claws of his fingers.

__

"Man, he must have sensed the energy I was giving off. The farther I'm away from him the chances of me getting closer will be harder. If I know him any better he's going to keep this stupid game going by playing keep away!" Inuyasha thought.

"If you honestly think you are going to win because of the miniscule off chance that you've made a successful strike then you will soon be proven wrong, little brother." Sesshoumaru said, as he curved his arm upwards and swung it outwards, releasing a long green stream of razor sharp energy. Using it as a whip, Sesshoumaru continually thwacked the extension against Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga.

"Grrr!!! I can't let him get the best of me now!" Inuyasha said, hoisting his sword to block Sesshoumaru's impending whip. "He may be trying to keep me back with this kind of tactic but he's in for quite a surprise." Inuyasha felt his power continue to rise with each block of the sword, and the red aura that shimmered around and the Tetsusaiga grew much stronger.

"Look! Inuyasha is fine after all! Did you see how he sent Sesshoumaru on the run like that? That was a pretty powerful swing, not to mention with an immense speed!" Shippo pointed at the scene.

"Thank heaven he's alright! But I'm also amazed that he managed to pull something off that even Sesshoumaru's eyes couldn't follow. I've never seen Inuyasha move at a heart racing speed like that before in any of his battles." Sango expressed with relief.

"Neither have I, but look closer. Inuyasha appears to be more in tune with his sword. Before he wasn't able to get too close to Sesshoumaru to perform an attack like that that covers such a wide range since it relatively would be slower originally. But since his speed and power has increased dramatically, Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga probably has less weight for him to handle and therefore making it easier to land the hit." Miroku concluded. "At this rate, it seems that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are now equaled in strength and speed. But for how long?"

Meanwhile, Inuyasha resumed blocking his brother's whip. As he felt his power reaching its maximum, he knew this was his only best and last chance to destroy Sesshoumaru.

"Its time to break out all the stops! Hyaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!" Inuyasha yelled, pushing all of his strength into the Tetsusaiga and using it send Sesshoumaru's whip off to the side while at the same time creating a huge tremor quake along the ground. The ground broke up into many jagged zigzag edges and shot forth toward Sesshoumaru.

"Hmph!" Sesshoumaru grunted lightly as he simply took a large leap to the right, avoiding the oncoming destruction of the tremor. Inuyasha grinned to himself as he recollected the remaining amount of all of his strength within him.

"Heh heh!!! That's exactly what I wanted you to do, dumbass!" Inuyasha said loudly, as he saw his own wind appear before his eyes, colliding with that of Sesshoumaru's in a massive struggle. Seeing the open fissure of light between his wind and his brother's, Inuyasha held back from attacking as he saw the Kazu no Kizu form and envelop all of Sesshoumaru's released energy.

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"It's quite different this time around. The Kazu no Kizu will prove insufficient in beating Sesshoumaru. However, letting the Kazu no Kizu take over Sesshoumaru's energy is the real key to winning this fight. Just a few more seconds and that'll be the crucial point for me to make my most ultimate attack... the Bakuryuuha!" Inuyasha ground his teeth, his blood boiling and rushing through his veins out of anticipation.

"Inuyasha's strength appears to be wavering spastically to the point where I cannot follow it... What is he concocting to do, exactly?" Sesshoumaru asked himself as he was still in mid-air.

Inuyasha's nerves were shot as he saw the flow of Sesshoumaru's energy being reversed by the Kazu no Kizu. As a result, the violent spinning wind was now coiled up, which was Inuyasha's chance to make his move.

"Here we go..... _BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!!_" Inuyasha screamed, thrusting the Tetsusaiga forward. The Tetsusaiga drew in Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's wind together, and from the blade came out a massive coiled tornado of wind energy. The piercing attack shot through the air like a bullet at a terrible speed, just inches away from hitting Sesshoumaru.

"..........." Sesshoumaru said nothing as his face was frozen with surprise at the powerful wind rampaging its way toward him. He quickly withdrew Toukijin from the sheath and responded with an attack of his own, slashing the blade through the air and sending another invisible bolt of pressurized demonic energy at the Bakuryuuha. The energy ray cut right through the center of the wind tornado, the two attacks exploding in an unexpected collision.

"What!?" Inuyasha reared back, his eyes half closed from the flashing light. Sesshoumaru was also taken by surprise as the Bakuryuuha continued its destination and blasted the demon away in a gigantic explosion of wind and light.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!" Jaken and Rin called simultaneously in horror, their fright of their master being killed evident.

"Gyyyyyyyaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hearing nothing but a strong groan in the air, Sesshoumaru's robes were ripped apart and he saw his own blood shooting up from his mouth as he felt all the energy from within him drain away. The Bakuryuuha's impact plowed right into his body and pushed him several feet away in a surrounding cloud of dust.

"Nnnnghhhhh!!!!" Inuyasha grunted, as his end suffered with Toukijin's last attack striking the blade of the Tetsusaiga. Somehow the electrical energy transferred itself onto the Tetsusaiga and sent a black wave across it, locking in all of its power and rendering the sword useless the moment it suddenly reverted back into its original form.

Inuyasha dropped the sword, briefly unable to handle the dark power that surrounded the old and brittle blade due all of his strength being exerted. "What... what happened? How could the Tetsusaiga transform back into its original state like this? Did Toukijin do this?" Inuyasha asked himself, unsure of the answers nor did he want to hear the truth. He reluctantly placed his hand on the Tetsusaiga's handle, able to pass the revolting electricity. He gripped the sword and shook it, realizing that another problem has arisen.

"Damn. I can't change it back since my energy is still low. I should be able to once I gather it. Nnnggghhh.... But with these injuries I don't even know if I'll be able to do that at all." Inuyasha said, holding his aching shoulder. Blood seeped through between his fingers and he was out of breath. The severity of Inuyasha's wounds were catching up to him, and he fell to his knees not having any more fight left within him.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku said, running up to the half demon with Sango, Shippo and Kirara right behind him. He helped Inuyasha up to his feet. "Inuyasha, say something! Are you alright?"

"The Tetsusaiga... I can't seem to bring it out of its older form... no matter what I do its useless." Inuyasha muttered. "While I did hit Sesshoumaru with the Bakuryuuha, I don't think I can even hold my guard up for much longer."

"Oh no! That's not good at all! You were lucky to knock Sesshoumaru away but if you can't defend yourself then we can't stay here at all!" Shippo wailed, his eyes nervously darting back to the large dust cloud where Sesshoumaru disappeared in.

"Then we had better make our escape now while we have the chance. If Sesshoumaru somehow recovers then Inuyasha will be held to a stalemate without the use of his weapon." Sango suggested, hoisting Inuyasha's right arm around her shoulders.

"No... I have to finish this... I can't just leave..." Inuyasha said weakly, his white hair ruffled and wetly matted against his forehead from blood and sweat.

"Don't be reckless! Your brother is already beaten and now we must retreat. Don't even think about going ahead to try and play the hero now that you've sustained more than enough damage. I won't allow that to happen." Miroku said, joining in and lifting Inuyasha's other arm around his back as he and Sango dashed out of the area with Kirara and Shippo running closely behind. They successfully made their exit amongst the confusion of the dust cloud, disappearing beyond the view of the river.

Moments later, Jaken and Rin ran over to the scene, shaking with worry.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! That evil demon couldn't have beaten him! He... can't be..." Rin felt as she was about to cry, her eyes watering. "No! No!!! I... don't want him to die!!!"

"I... I cannot accept the fact that my lord was bested by that half breed Inuyasha in battle! Impossible! Hold on, master! I am coming to save you!" Jaken clambered over to the settling dust as the large crater showed itself in front of him.

However, Jaken stopped and his heart almost skipped a beat as he saw the tall figure of the one and only Sesshoumaru emerged swiftly from the crater, walking towards his associates slowly. The top left and legs of Sesshoumaru's robes were ripped apart and stained with dried blood and dirt, his armor long ago destroyed. Revealed were his well toned muscles as his pale skin glistened in the small light of the sun that peeked through the gray clouds above.

"S... S... Sesshoumaru-sama!!! Do my eyes deceive me? You're alive! You're alive and well!" Jaken babbled, bashing his tiny noggin against the wood of his Staff of Heads.

"Of course, Jaken. Still you misinterpret the abilities of the one you openly provide your life obligation to." Sesshoumaru calmly replied, his faced marked with the three cuts his brother inflicted on him earlier, the blood having mysteriously disappeared.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!!!" Rin cried happily, running up and beaming up at her demon friend. "We were so worried. Jaken and I thought that you might not have made it. Inuyasha's attack was so powerful I actually felt my ears ring from the loudness of it. We should have naturally known that couldn't have hurt someone as strong as you!"

"I must admit I am truly happy to see you breathing with my own two eyes, master. But what's this!?" Jaken studied Sesshoumaru, taking note that the wounds that were previously on his body were now gone, as if the demon was never harmed in the first place ever since the battle began. "All of your injuries... they've disappeared! But the Bakuryuuha clearly struck a direct hit on you, did it not my lord?" Jaken said, then catching himself on what he just said. "Ahhh! Forgive me, master! I did not mean that in an offensive sense! What I meant to say was..."

"The Tenseiga..." Sesshoumaru said, his eyes diverting to the sword that remained sheathed against his waist. Jaken stopped and looked up at the blade, seeing that its sheath was brightly glowing with a strange and mystical blue light.

"What?! Tenseiga? Sesshoumaru-sama, I do not quite follow what you are trying to say." Jaken replied.

"It has yet again spared my life. The workings of the Tenseiga I have yet to fully understand. However, this time I am led to honestly believe the sword possesses the power to save the life of its wearer without having the need to be taken out of its sheath. I had no idea of that kind of capability could exist." Sesshoumaru said, his narrowed eyes still trained on the Tenseiga's handle. The sword was the sole reason for healing the heavy injuries that Sesshoumaru were given during the fight with Inuyasha, and was the primary savior of protecting him from being killed by the awesome power of the Bakuryuuha.

"Who would have thought that the Tenseiga could do more than save the lives of any being that it touches, let alone protecting its owner? It seems that the sword serves much more of a bigger purpose than originally suspected." Jaken said.

"Perhaps. For that brief moment upon being hit by the eye of the Bakuryuuha's tornado, I had felt myself teetering between the very thin lines of life and death. Having seen the depths of another world with the ethereal type of aura it contains from within..." Sesshoumaru described.

"Well, either way I'm just glad you're okay, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin smiled.

"My lord, it seems Inuyasha and his friends have fled as well! Should we give pursuit?" Jaken turned to the river, holding his hand above his eyes. Sesshoumaru walked past him and faced the river, his golden eyes lost with the image of the mountainside in their reflection. He held Toukijin at his side, the blade's evil aura having long calmed down.

"That won't be necessary, Jaken. Despite the fact that Inuyasha has escaped I have no desire to dishonorably pursue an animal that is already wounded. There will always be another time and another place for us to cross paths. Inuyasha's destined victories are only marked by total flukes, and soon that element of luck will no longer last any further than it already has." Sesshoumaru said. The wind that passed by rustled the dirt stained tail around his shoulder, the ghastly whisper of silence boring down on the bleak lands.

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In the northwest many, many miles away stood Naraku's castle. Being protected by the immense barrier created from the pure power of the dark miasma that spread its poisonous mist across the courtyards, not a single opposing enemy could make their way inside. The castle stood prominently atop a short ridge across from a windy open field of grass, the blades of the earth grown dirt chilled to the core with the infinite downpour of cold air that emanated from the black structure itself.

Inside one of the dark hallways of the castle stood Kagura of the Wind and Kanna of the Void. Both sisters worn from combat and their wounds having healed over time, they quietly stepped into the master's room. Their footsteps were gone unheard but their presence alone was acknowledged by the long haired man that sat in the corner of the dark lit room.

"Master Naraku... we have come to sincerely apologize for our failures. Inuyasha and his allies remain alive and still walk freely." Kagura said, flipping her fan shut and automatically bowing to pay her respects. "However, we have still managed to gather the information you have asked us to seek."

Kanna remained silent beside her sister, her white outfit being the only visible color in the room.

"Really, Kagura. Then be as so bold as to enlighten my mood with what you have discovered." Naraku replied, his eyes being the only part of his body even making any sort of movement, shifting to his two detachments across from his side.

"Kanna has found that Inuyasha does indeed have more knowledge of the herbal plant that he intends to save that girl Kagome with. The Ringenkai Plant supposedly lies in one location, which is called Mount Harunai. But gathered the small timeframe that Inuyasha and his friends are given to find the plant, I highly doubt there is a point to worrying about them any longer." said Kagura.

"Shortly after finding it out... my mirror... was broken." Kanna whispered softly.

"Hmm... I would not be so fast to pass that kind of uneducated judgement of the situation at hand so quickly. Being granted the fact that Inuyasha only has three more days before the little girl he cares so much for will die... I am not one to be easily influenced by minor details such as this. I won't be convinced of my plans falling through with one hundred perfect success until I see those that oppose me dead with my own eyes. Not believing what your enemies can and cannot do is something only a fool would adhere to." Naraku's voice wavered from the corner.

"Oh? And what makes you so confident that they will make the deadline in only three days?" Kagura asked.

"Don't call it a hunch. Or speculation for that matter. I would rather prefer knowing the cold hard facts... and having known the many tendencies of Inuyasha's ill mannered personality he will do anything to save the one he loves, knocking that all that stands in his path. Perhaps you've forgotten that he was the same one to have defeated the both of you in battle? What makes _you_ so confident Inuyasha is incapable of finding this Ringenkai Plant?" Naraku scoffed.

Kagura grit her teeth in annoyance, long ago tired of Naraku's belittlement of her. She said nothing in response at first, although she thought that the poor lighting of the room had covered her angry reaction. But little did she know that Naraku could easily see her face, silently but internally amused at toying with the woman's feelings when the chance presented itself. Not only did Naraku enjoy the pleasures of power physically, but to remain verbally stronger over his own detachments was something of a little game he liked to play.

"I thought so." Naraku smirked, lowering his head while closing his eyes.

"Then we most definitely cannot let Inuyasha live if he's posed as a threat to this plan. Am I not correct?" Kagura asked after a moment of silence.

Naraku slowly stood up, his black and purple robes rustling. He walked towards the single burning candlelight standing near the wall. His face became basked in the serene glow of the orange flames, only making his evil visage appear slightly less frightening.

"There is no need to douse ourselves in fear. I have yet another plan to make up gaining so much more for what we have already lost." Naraku said, an eerie smile curling from his soft lips as he blew the candle out, shrouding the room in pitch black darkness.

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The End of Chapter 10.


	11. Revival of The Shinkantetsu

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 11: Revival of The Shinkantetsu

In the evening covered dew of the forest habitat nothing but an expansive acre of lush green trees were grown along the land, with the occasional lakes and mountain ranges to complete the beautiful scenery. Far out in the outskirts of where the normal stretch of villages and towns lie, there was a single rocky path that curved towards an upwards hill which stood out from the casual bird's eye view from above.

With the many decades having been passed through the trials and tribulations of war during this feudal era period, not a single human or creature has trespassed around this path in particular. There were tons of rumors told by old folklore that the path was haunted by vicious demons who would set out to murder anyone who dared to walk down it. Some foolish stragglers or naive children would try to prove the rumors false by actually finding the path and surveying it, only to never return or be heard from ever again.

The second half of rumors that existed that the path consisted of exactly one thousand miles in distance which led to the hidden quarters of an ancient demon class dating back to nearly over four hundred years ago. No one believed it of course back then, until the knowledge of demons' existence had grown to be seen by mankind's eyes.

However the only difference separating the rumors from the truths after all of these centuries relied on the shoulders of one being. And that being was currently traversing on the legendary haunted path at this very moment.

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"You do realize that if Inuyasha finds the Ringenkai Plant then your plans will have all been for naught yielding no positive results." Kagura reminded her master.

"Heh... such little faith, Kagura. You are becoming more dillusioned to the fact that I always find many ways to counter a backfire. In fact, to conjure up a great amount of careful planning in turn only leaves me frustrated to choose the best of my plans." Naraku replied to his female incarnation.

That exchange of speech was only a few hours ago. Kagura and Kanna had arrived at Naraku's castle to inform him of their failures to kill Inuyasha and his friends, but yet they managed to take information regarding the location of the Ringenkai Plant. Naraku was now aware that there was a powerful solution to counter the miasma conceived poison seed that he himself created. With this sensitive knowledge in Inuyasha's mind, Naraku knew it the dog demon would do his best to overcome any hardships to get to the herbal plant.

How far was Naraku planning tolerate this action? To the corrupt demon lord, he aimed to end those troubles today. Having been heavily questioned by his detachment Kagura about what exact plan he was storing up his sleeve, he decided to play the silent mouse and let her find out on her own. Kanna as well.

It was only a mere three hours later Naraku had set out east towards one of the darkest territories of Japan, his ambitions drawing him to this uphill path. Calmly perched atop a dead horse carriage, Naraku was donned in his white baboon pelt as the animal powered vehicle slowly made its way down the path and only a few more miles closer to his goal at the other end of the dead quiet forest he rode through.

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"Here lies the secret to an untold story of our ancient demonic brethren." Naraku thought to himself, raising his hands to whip the two skeletal horses that pulled the large carriage behind them. The bony figures picked up the pace in their walking speed, bringing a cool breeze that stung Naraku's eyes like a sharp arrow made out of pristine glass.

The evening skies were showing signs of turning dark within the next three hours, and the further that the path itself stretched the darker the environment transformed into at a snail's pace. Naraku could hear the clear spiritual screams of the victims that were brutally killed by the old demons of yore in his ears, each and every high pitched yell of terror and death easing each bone in body. To him it was a pleasant song of peace that calmed his swirling dark soul, another element of the hatred, jealousy, and greediness that defined the meaning of evil that was housed inside him.

"Excellent. I do believe we are on the right path." Naraku said calmly to the two people sitting inside of the carriage, their silhouettes moving not a single inch despite the constant rocking and rumbling resulting from the horses' pulling. The clip-clopping of their hooves hit the dirt hard ground with a following echo due to the silence in the air, or so it seemed in the imaginary minds of those who could hear the sound.

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About two hours later, Naraku's carriage abruptly stopped in front of an ongoing flight of stone stairs that seemed to lead the way into the heavens itself. With a large red sign marking either side at the start of the steps, Naraku could clearly see the faint shimmering glow of the old magic binds that rendered the entrance completely impassable to anyone. There were two sacred ropes tied to the two large posts with faded Japanese kanji on the material, responsible for the bind.

Naraku dismounted from the driver's seat of the carriage and faced the barrier, his form hunched over inside the pelt he disguised himself in. His deep red eyes poked out from the baboon's eyeholes, that glazed look lost within his pupils with the worst of intentions.

"Hmm. Such a pathetic spellbinding barrier. Strong to those of the old age of nearly five centuries, but laughably weak in comparison to my superior power. After all of these years, did they really at most assume that this kind of magic could repel a demon such as myself?" Naraku asked while holding back an unconcerned chuckle as he raised his hand. He barely even lifted his finger before the barrier was destroyed in a flash of light, cracking apart like old bitter steel and granting all open access.

Naraku paced himself. He was in no exact rush to find the area he was heading to, although for some reason his nerves tingled with an odd malevolent excitement he could not contain. Maybe it was the vacant surroundings that kept his mind at ease or it was the fact that he was only another mile away from hatching his latest and carefully thought out plan. Whatever the case was his presence known to the once magically protected land was only the beginning of the end. Perhaps this accounted upcoming ritual would finally bring to him his dreams of obtaining the ultimate power of the sacred Shikon Jewel and then some. Only time would tell in the next few minutes.

After completing the task of climbing the fifty flights of stone steps, Naraku had come upon an open cavern. Its wide gaping mouth boasted nothing but a black void that dared to swallow up the inviting curiosity of the damned. The long dead suffering cries that crossed the line between the physical and astral plane has long ago dissipated. Now Naraku was about to cross the threshold to a new world. A world that even he may not have been able to possibly comprehend without the right knowledge before stepping into its welcoming arms.

Floating like an angelic devil into the blackness, it was only a moment later that Naraku was facing a wide enclosed space with a large altar with five stone cold obelisks erected to form a circular shape around it. Japanese kanji was deeply engraved on each corresponding obelisk, the stone structures slightly cracked and riddled with immense periods of age. Discoloration plagued the hard surfaces and the altar itself was laced with a small yet distinguishable trace of an old holy magic bind tied to it.

"If the power of the Shikon Jewel has truly granted me the wishes that I've yearned for so long... then breaking the seal to what was once the most strongest and proud race of demons by their very name alone should not pose a problem." Naraku said quietly as he revealed the nearly complete Shikon Jewel in his right hand. Setting it on the altar before him, the jewel had immediately began to react to the magical bind sending forth a spinning carousel of sparkling mystical light.

Naraku took four steps back and watched as the Shikon Jewel's unbounded power destroyed the magic bind on the altar, sending a big streak of white hot energy directly into the altar itself. The faded kanji inscriptions containing the words to an old chant were released from the obelisks, shooting forth and disappearing into thin air. A strange vapor was suddenly released into the cavern, forming a thin mist while the stone encasing the obelisks cracked and shattered apart, revealing their new smooth surfaces made from pure obsidian.

Five rays all shot out from their respective obelisks, forming a center point and shooting down onto the altar. The vapor mist became thicker, causing Naraku to squint hard through it at the grand summoning that was taking place. Then in a blinding flash of light, the obelisks exploded in chunks of black stone as five spirits flew out of them. The mist absorbed the floating spirits and formed five different physical bodies. They all materialized in front of Naraku in a crouched position, and when the light finally faded nothing but an evil and most cruelest of smiles unfurled upon under the white baboon's gaping mouth.

Naraku took four steps forward to his original position while retrieving his precious jewel sphere. His gaze shifted up at the five demons that slowly rose to their feet.

"The Shinkantetsu. It has been over 500 years, has it not? Now your reborn demon bodies will take the first breath of fresh earthen air as you were unknowingly released from your long age captivity by the humans who sought your utmost banishment from this world." Naraku said.

"Wh... what kind of sorcery has brought us here? Could it be... that we're actually alive?" one of the demons said, who had an attractive feminine face. His name was Tarensei, a young bishounen with purple long hair that flowed like sharp silk cloth down to the length of his knees, cut off halfway with a small hair band. His eyes were that of an emerald color, pristine as holy water and riveting enough to capture the soul of anyone who looked deeply into them. Tarensei was a master of the ninja arts and was considered an elite shinobi, wearing a magenta full sleeved gi that was designed with a large rose with petals dotted across the chest along with a dark blue hakama decorated with raining cherry blossoms. On his feet he wore white socks and red banded slippers. Lastly, tied to the right of his waist was a sheathed masamune sword.

"It would seem so, Tarensei." another demon of the group replied while staring at his physical body in total disbelief. "My hunger for blood has been reawakened once more... set in an agonizing suspension for so long. I still feel as if I had died but now here I stand!" said Hankotsu, a slightly hunched over demon with distinctive red eyes and pale gray skin. His face was covered by an ivory mask with only the eye and mouth areas cracked open.

The mask itself was disfigured with one eyehole right side up and the other vice versa. A jagged and twisted grin was etched onto the mouth with Hankotsu's long sharp fangs lining the surface where the teeth should have been built, dripping with insatiable amounts of steaming venomous saliva. He wore torn black robes with white skulls scattered across its fabric, and dangling bloodstained chains hanging from both of his wrists, the obvious rust visible. His retracted sharp claws possessed poison secreted into each cuticle and was easily capable of tearing human flesh. On his back were four enclosed wings, and he carried a three sickle chain blade weapon around his waist like a belt.

"I would be inclined to think of this as a dream... but as you can all clearly see this is all quite real. We have been brought back to life and the path to our quest for eternal conquest has been reopened at last." said Rensatou, a light skinned brown eyed man wearing a white cloth on his head. He had a well toned body and sported blue and white robes with several tied bandages on his hands and legs. He also had large brown prayer beads around his neck, each bead engraved with old Hiragana writing and a medicine bag slung around his right shoulder. In his hand he held a naginata whose blade was purified with corrupt mystical water, giving off a mighty spiritual aura. Six white flames of energy hovered above him constantly.

The other two remaining demons diverted their attention to Naraku, coming forth to face the disguised stranger who they presumably deemed responsible for this act of revival.

"This animal apparently knows of us pretty well from what he's saying. Who the hell is he exactly?" a tall and broad muscular demon said. His name was Jaroutara, having wild green hair and black eyes that burned with anger. He only wore silver armored leggings with two spikes extracting from both knees and held a giant double sided axe over his back.

"You! Identify yourself this instant. Are you friend or foe? You had best give an answer or a quick death will suffice for your impudence." said Kagotaru, the strongest and appointed leader of the group. His long black hair was twisted into a ponytail and his eyes were flaming with a fiery red. On his forehead burned a black diamond shaped emblem and four streaks of fire markings were outlining the edges of his eyes, curving upwards to his temples. He wore robes underneath his spiked battle armor tied with red and white sashes for decoration, and covering his shoulders was a red cloak concealing two huge swords attached to his back with a tassel hanging from each of their handles.

"I am neither of which you accuse me of. Upon summoning you to the lands of the living world once again to place all of you back to your high plateau of power, I've merely done this to ask a proposition that shall prove most promising. If you agree to it that is." Naraku said while making direct eye contact with Kagotaru. The proud and prideful leader flipped his cape to the side and crossed his arms in a defiant manner.

"Hmph! Are you even consciously aware of who you are dealing with? We are the Shinkantetsu, 'The New Realization'. Five of the most strongest demons that has banded together to make our name feared throughout all of Japan. Don't even begin to tell me that an inferior morsel of your stature holds the accountability for releasing us from our prisons only to have the disrespectable nerve of asking us a measly favor?" Kagotaru asked. "Heh, don't be a fool!!!"

"Oh, but I _am_ fully aware of your legendary history. But in retrospect I believe it is not wise to pass judgement on a matter that you have not heard to its fullest. What if I were to say I could transform your current miniscule amount of power into a much greater and recognizable size upon your return to the living world?" Naraku offered.

"This gentleman is absolutely speaking nothing but nonsense! Surely this is a joke, Kagotaru. You honestly don't believe what he says, do you?" Tarensei glanced over to his leader. "We built our ruling foundation strictly on strength alone, and I'm not to fall for this kind of ploy. And now he insults our position?"

"I must admit too, that this sounds rather hasty and hard to contemplate without any suspicions." Rensatou agreed, not taking his eyes off of Naraku. "How do we know that he isn't lying to us? His aura certainly gives off an ominous vibe that I can't help but be concerned about."

"Silence!!! All of you! I did not ask for any of your opinions." Kagotaru said in an irritated tone, turning back to Naraku. "There's no way possible that your promises can allow us to be stronger than we already are. Do not underestimate us because you are under the impression that we have been sealed in these ridiculous prisons for five decades. However, you have certainly captured my interest. But I shall ask you a second time and a second time only. Who are you, and what exactly is this greater power that you speak of?"

"Simply enough. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Naraku, and I have strictly gone to great lengths of coming all this to request upon your services." Naraku replied. "Having read and learned much from the written literature passed down from generation to generation consisting of holy priests and priestesses, it was there I've gained knowledge of five surviving demon warriors out of a thousand kings. It was said that by being exiled by a single priestess named Midoriko, these five demons were nothing but a spare remnant of a combined tolitarian force that was capable of destroying mankind and even any kind of holy essence that dared to oppose it."

"Hmph. Lucky guess! What else doesn't he know of our past?" Hankotsu scoffed as he licked his bone dry claws, intentionally cutting his tongue so that it leaked blood onto them. The grotesque demon proceeded to lick the blood off them, satisfying his ongoing eternal thirst for the red liquid's delicious taste that delivered satisfactory sustenance.

"During the massive war between humans and demons that was the period that the five of you rose to true power, each of you possessing a region of Japan under their respective rights. However, it was together united did you own the demon underworld of the country. Well, before Midoriko had appeared. But that wasn't all. After the seven days and seven nights of Midoriko's last battle to save the human race, all of you no longer had a position to rule as you were chased down by the sole survivor of Midoriko's family. You were all hunted down like animals down to this very spot, each overpowered by the magic spell that bound you to these obelisks that restrained your bodies for as long the Earth continued to exist. Midoriko's daughter, Makoto, made it her duty to restrain the Shinkantetsu but she was not quite strong and pure hearted as her mother to actually dispose of them instead." Naraku went on, his left hand rising from underneath his pelt and revealing the Shikon Jewel to Kagotaru.

"And until now, this is where history transcends down to. What you see in my hand lies the Shikon Jewel, a crystal sphere containing her very soul and that of the demon she fought many centuries ago." Naraku held out the jewel as the Shinkantetsu looked on, intrigued by the clear hard substance that sparkled with a mysterious glow of energy.

"Oooh! So pretty!" Tarensei said, his green eyes quivering at the immediate sight of the jewel. "I've always been infatuated with many types of gemstones and I was an avid collector of them when I was younger, but I've got to _say_... THAT is the prettiest stone I have ever laid eyes on in all my years of living! This Shikon Jewel looks very authentic and I think it would go great as an accessory to my wardrobe!"

"So, he does speak the truth after all. I can sense a great deal of spiritual energy emanating directly from the jewel. That energy is similar to the lady priestess Makoto who has banished us, only much stronger by tenfold." said Rensatou.

"I'm impressed, Naraku. You've certainly done your homework. I would take it that our power was great enough to be warranted as a tale for the current age of mankind to be told. I will give you my thanks for reviving me and my men. However upon learning more of this Shikon Jewel I'm further intrigued by its ability you seem to know so much about. How do you know that I couldn't just as easily kill you in an instant and take the jewel for myself to use? I sense no particular kind of threat stemming from you, as a matter of fact." Kagotaru implied, his hand slowly creeping towards the handle of one of his swords.

"How do I know? Hm..." Naraku could only respond with a confident smirk, already knowing what Kagotaru was preparing to do. "Because I know that you will willingly do whatever it takes to obtain what I hold in my hand. But I wouldn't be so foolish as to give you the jewel for no apparent reason. As I've said before, my offer still stands if you truly desire my treasure."

"And what offer may that be? Obviously it is something you can't do yourself if you've gone to the trouble of coming to us." Rensatou remarked.

"Oh, I personally believe it is a small matter that even the likes of you will not have much difficulty completing. What I am asking is for you to kill a half demon named Inuyasha for me, who has been causing quite a stir of trouble in my personal agendas. He is an annoying insect that must be squashed by any means necessary. In return for his death, I shall give you the Shikon Jewel to assist in increasing your individual strengths further than your minds can fathom." Naraku proposed, causing Kagotaru to cease his reach for his sword.

"Inuyasha? A half demon? Ha ha ha! Don't make me laugh! The chance to own the Shikon Jewel for a petty job like this sounds way too good to be true! Heh, I almost feel sorry that we're practically robbing this fool if he couldn't take care of a half demon let alone a full one!" Jaroutara exclaimed.

"But this no ordinary half demon as you are hard pressed to believe. Inuyasha is very strong and can hold his own against almost anyone who challenges him. He even holds a sword that can slay up to one hundred demons in one swing. Be forewarned that he seeks the power of the sacred Shikon Jewel as well. That is why I require of you to eliminate him. Would you rather prefer that he finds it before you do?" Naraku questioned.

"Of course not. But if this Inuyasha is as strong as you say he is, then this should prove rather interesting and quite the challenge." an evil grin spread across Kagotaru's face. "I have not had a worthy opponent in over three hundred years before and after I appointed myself as leader of the Shinkantetsu, and now this half demon may very well satisfy my hopes for a grand battle. I look forward to seeing him if it means owning the Shikon Jewel to restore our status upon Japan. Mankind shall tremble before us again and forever."

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear. So it is agreed then, Lord Kagotaru. Kill Inuyasha and I will grant you the Shikon Jewel. But to sweeten the settlement even more, here I hold five shards of the jewel. What I may have neglected to mention earlier is that a single shard alone is capable of giving a demon a massive boost of strength, enough to take down any sort of enemy he may come across. If you should choose to do so, using these shards is more than enough to deal with Inuyasha himself provided that you take advantage of its power." Naraku said, holding out five jewel shards in his hand, each of them brightly shining.

"Precautious, aren't we?" Kagotaru asked as he took the shards. "I would prefer to defeat my opponents based on my own original strength. I may not believe in unfair advantages, but I will only use this shard if the time calls for it, of which I can assure you that will never happen." Kagotaru said, slipping one shard into his sash. He then turned and flicked the other jewel shards straight through the air like bullets, only to land into the palms of his four followers behind him.

"Ooh! One shard is more than enough to make me happy!" Tarensei said happily as he tied the shard around his neck on a small piece of string. He leapt through the air and performed a few pirouettes with his hair spinning in circles around him, modeling his new shard piece. "Don't I look absolutely wonderful now that I wear this?"

"Ugh, please don't push it! You think _everything_ looks wonderful on you." Hankotsu said disgustedly as he balanced his jewel shard between one of his claws.

"Hmph. Naraku, I'll have to commend you for being so brave to stand up to us and demand this kind of rewarding offer. My only disagreement in this whole ordeal is for the fact that my instincts as leader... permits me not to trust you so wholeheartedly. How do I know that this isn't all a trick in the end?" Kagotaru asked, still uncertain.

"There are no strings attached to this deal, Lord Kagotaru. You kill Inuyasha for me, and you reap the benefits of the sacred jewel. You and your men will see for yourself what those shards are capable of if you are inclined to use them. Personally, I truly believe that the aftermath of this meeting will redirect your instincts in quite a different direction than you originally perceived of me." Naraku said as he quietly turned and left the cave grounds, only stopping short a few seconds later before he reached the entrance. 

"Remember that Inuyasha himself also carries a few shards as well, which will make pinpointing his location much easier. Now that I have done my deed, I bid you an utmost farewell." the foul creature last remarked while disappearing into the faded light of nothingness, leaving the Shinkantetsu behind to ponder his real identity.

Kagotaru remained silent, taking a few strides outside of the cave to follow the trails of swirling leaves that floated by him. Upon experiencing his rebirth into the living world along with his followers, Kagotaru's prominent stature alone took a deep breath of fresh air. His demonic eyes were unable to take in what little light that shed itself through the trees of the sacred grounds, longing after the man who he had just made a deal with.

"He is gone. Possibly like that into thin air? He is definitely one of not only strange powers but a mysterious allure that easily can confound anyone who dares to decipher it. Something is either amiss or awry, leader." Rensatou said in a low tone of voice. He closed his eyes and held his naginata close as if he were entranced into a deep spiritual state, perhaps trying to understand the depths of Naraku's truer self.

"So even you could not see through his ruse either, Rensatou? For a moment there I was beginning to comprehend the dire fact that my skills were getting quite rusty. Still, I was in no position to bend to a weak willed half demon such as him. Clearly while one is so hard pressed to use the sacred jewel's strength to add to his own - isn't it raw power within himself that makes the true fighter?" Kagotaru said, crossing his arms. His gaze was lost within the acres of the outstretched forest that lay before his skyline view.

"That would go against our own code. True while it feels quite strange having to take these very same shards that sealed our souls by the high priestess Makoto, the more I hold it in my hand the less inclined I am to shun away from its intoxicating shine. Even though I haven't tasted the spoils of war for as long as I can recall, this single shard alone is returning all what was once lost during our imprisonment." Hankotsu hissed as he hovered out from the cave and floated down onto the ground a few feet away.

"Say whatever you want. I'd say Naraku can be trusted at this rate. Giving us these shards was the best thing that could happen to us if this Inuyasha person has been causing him so much trouble. To think that he'd come to us, The New Realization, going to great lengths to bring our souls back from limbo? He's either pretty smart or plain stupid if you ask me." Jaroutara said as he strongly gripped the shard in his meaty fist. "Makes me feel five times as strong already! And besides, if the Shikon Jewel can grant us a secure lock onto our new reign over Japan, then we might as well go along with the plan."

"Hmph. Truly, once we slay Inuyasha we could always opt to do away with Naraku as well. In my most humble opinion a weakling that hides behind a raggedy animal pelt surely can be no match for more than a single swing of my sword." Kagotaru followed up, slowly walking along the edge of the steps to his left.

"But my lord, may I be as so bold as to ask why did you not kill Naraku right then and there? What chances in life present themselves can turn into a hardened position that one could regret eternally." Hankotsu asked.

Kagotaru stopped and turned away from his men, holding his hand to his waist as his long cloak swayed to the side by a quick gust of wind that passed over his head.

"That is not what the Shinkantetsu is all about. Have you forgotten our ideals? Has the bloodshed and torn flesh of demons and humans during the wars we were involved in has clouded your mind to what our real goals are, Hankotsu? You disappoint me. While I agree with all of you that Naraku is a suspicious one, I refuse to fall to the path of dishonor and greed. If the lot of you are willing to cast aside what you once stood for then I won't hold it against you. Just remember that none of that was what I have taught you when this group was founded by yours truly." Kagotaru replied smugly.

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"If we are all truly strong then we should not have even taken the shards to begin with." Tarensei thought, being the least talkative one of the bunch as he calmly stroked his own hair with the gentle touch of his hand. _"But on the other hand, this Inuyasha fellow seems quite intriguing just by his name alone. *sigh* Inuyasha... what a beautiful name. My interest is peaking each time I repeat it."_

The four members were silent upon hearing their lord's words, each of them frowning and reconsidering their decisions. However, temptation had gotten the best of them. Without anyone saying a word, Kagotaru could instantly feel the reverse conclusions by his followers without even having to ask about it. Ever since they had received the jewel shards, he knew that all that was on their minds was reclaiming their lost title as warriors - even if it meant having to accomplish it with artificial strength.

"Even by the most honorable of codes, there comes a time when we are free to pass judgement on our own futures and to decide upon them. Forgive us all, Kagotaru-sama. I can initially speak for all of us that while we may appear to be placing disrespect towards the original beliefs of our clan, in our hearts remains the true ambition to take back what is rightfully ours. This is only a means of attaining those rights by a different method as we see fit." Rensatou said, his deep voice expressing extreme emotion of each word.

Kagotaru still did not move. He simply nodded his head, a thin smirk unfolding from his lips. Approving their final decisions, he could no longer talk them out of it. "Very well, then. I need not say anymore on the matter." He then spun around at last, facing his men while raising his hand to make a gesture. "So who wants to claim the status of being the one to take Inuyasha's head?"

"Not I." Hankotsu said tiredly, coiling his four wings around his body like a child would cover himself in a warm blanket from the cold.

"And why not?" Rensatou curiously asked.

"I hunger for not battle, but I heavily thirst for nothing but blood! I have grown mighty weak all of these years. Surely you should realize that the sweet red liquid of humans is what I desire more than a mere fight." Hankotsu said a moment before disappearing in a streak of hazy black lines, never to be seen again.

"Do whatever you want, not that you'd be around to hear that." Kagotaru said. Tarensei suddenly popped up at Kagotaru's right, jumping up and down like a young child in an excited fashion.

"Then I might as well be the first to officially volunteer! Can I be the one to search for Inuyasha?! Please, Kagotaru-sama! Pretty please with sugar and sprinkles on top?"

Tarensei asked, his eyes becoming super deformed and having an odd starry twinkle in his pupils. Kagotaru reared back in disgust and shooed Tarensei away with his hand.

"Fine, fine! Go on ahead. You have my permission to do so." Kagotaru said lazily, surprised at how easily influenced Tarensei was for battle.

"YES!!! I promise I won't fail you, my lord! The mission is set in stone!" The purple haired shinobi leapt into the air, cheering loudly out of happiness. He then dashed away into the forest in the blink of an eye, trails of dust and leaves kicking up into the air behind his afterimage.

"Heh heh heh! I hope Inuyasha will make a suitable husband. If he does prove so, then maybe I won't have to kill him. A little white lie to my lord about his death couldn't hurt now could it?" Tarensei said to himself, unable to contain his excitement. Back at the stone stairs, Kagotaru faced the last of his followers.

"So what do you two plan on doing now that the assignment has been passed?" the leader asked nonchalantly.

"Heh! I might as well go on and test the power of this jewel shard for awhile! Even though I'm missing out on the fun of annihilating someone right now, I'm sure coming back with a nice strength boost will make up for it all. If anyone else fails to get the job done, I'll gladly be the one to step in and take over." Jaroutara said as he briskly walked away into the opposite way that Tarensei left from the forest. Kagotaru shook his head, his eyes narrowed.

"Jaroutara, you are far too thick headed and blind to comprehend the true code of a warrior. Your constant need for a fix on violence has led you to thinking that way." Kagotaru commented flatly, leaving only he and Rensatou the only ones standing.

"And what of you?" Kagotaru asked, looking over at the humble spiritualist. Rensatou raised his gaze toward his leader respectfully, coming out of his trance.

"I will go wherever the gods of fate shall guide me." Rensatou simply responded as he walked past his leader and descended down the seemingly endless flight of stairs. "I am confident that Tarensei will take care of everything, and may the spirits of our yore help him succeed. Goodbye for now, my leader. Our paths shall regroup in the not so distant future."

In a manner of moments, Kagotaru was the only one left. But not for long as he took out the jewel shard and stared at it in the palm of his hand. The small crystal like item reflecting off the pools of his eyes and having a resonating sound that only his mind could hear, calling out his name strongly and repeating in an infinite echo.

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"One piece... one shard alone could affect our future. But imagine what an entire jewel could do. But having to use the same accursed jewel that has sealed our fates so many centuries ago for our own purposes... for some reason I cannot bring myself to go against the very same set of codes I've set as an example for my men to follow. Not just men we are. Not just demons bred upon a human world that despises us. But as the Shinkantetsu. The New Realization. A realization that will soon bring this land upon a brand new era of light transfixed with darkness." Kagotaru thoughts lingered in his head while he walked down the stairs, leaving the past behind him and walking into his future.

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Not too far away from the ancient cavern altar stood none other than Naraku himself. Perched atop a tree branch, he was shrouded amongst the green foliage of the leaves that masked him entirely. His lips curled into a devious smile underneath the teeth of the baboon's mouth.

"Even I must admit, that was far easier than I had originally anticipated. It ceases to amaze me just how ridiculously gullible one can fall to the Shikon Jewel by hearing by word of mouth its incredible properties and the sort of power it holds. What was once known to a be a very formidable group of demon warriors has now disbanded over a mere trifle such as this. A pity that they won't enjoy their freedom for very long." Naraku scoffed.

"Once again the manipulator makes his mark. But are you certain that these demons are capable of standing any sort of chance against Inuyasha and his allies? Time and time again has proven that pulling the strings to a puppet will only get you so far if want your enemies dead and no less than that." a female voice said, belonging to that of Kagura. The Wind Sorceress was leaning against the bark of the same tree that Naraku stood at the top of.

Appearing next to Kagura was her sister, Kanna. The white haired young demon girl silently stared into space as her two relatives conversed with each other.

"Your reasoning does not bode with me well, Kagura. In my plans, I control the entire puppet and not just its strings. Think of it as the Shinkantetsu being my puppets and the jewel shards are the strings. Pulling each string separately requires a certain finesse. Inuyasha will now face a greater threat than he could never imagine. Ruthless demons whose strength exceed far that of his. And once that half demon is no longer alive to interfere with my plans, I will take back the shards from Lord Kagotaru and his men. With proper force, the rules of engagement need not be applied." Naraku said.

Kagura said no more, lowering her fan to her side and turning away. Kanna grasped her mirror in her dainty little hands, her eyes emptier than the space within a vacuum. Naraku and his troop then soon faded away into the purple miasma that enveloped their bodies, carrying them away into the sunset skies a few minutes before the end of dawn.

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The End of Chapter 11.


	12. Dark Reflections

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 12: Dark Reflections

A light rush of weary rain came trickling down at the break of early night, with the stars in space making out a bright connection of beautiful constellations soon to be complete within the next few hours before the moon with its scorching but smooth surface making its presence known to the earth on which it bore down upon on a daily basis. The raindrops bounced off the leaves of the trees, making a dampening sound as they all splashed at a constant and continuous rate onto the already soaked ground.

However this foreshadowing to an expected harsh type of weather did not keep Inuyasha and his friends from moving along their way, as the entire gang were currently seeking refuge inside a small open space within a small forest, only a few miles away from an uphill slope above a vast range of natural fields. The rain slowly fell harder at a steady pace on Inuyasha's shoulders as he blankly stared at the Tetsusaiga that he held in his hand, the chipped blade seemingly corroded with a coat of demonic energy that could not be removed by any means.

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"I don't understand it at all. Why is it that I can no longer transform the Tetsusaiga? At first I thought it may been due to my loss of energy during that last fight with Sesshoumaru, but now I'm starting to think its a whole different case." Inuyasha was sitting in a crouched position in the grass, his body physically worn and his thoughts cluttered with the same question that pressed inside his mind over and over again.

"Inuyasha, why do you keep staring at your sword so much? Ever since we dragged you out here you've been pretty silent for as long as I can remember. Is there something wrong?" Shippo questioned as he hopped over to Inuyasha's side.

"Its not that you wouldn't be bitter about us saving your hide and bringing you to safety, is it?" Miroku gently poked.

"Grrr! Come off it already! I'm not even thinking about that! I'm concerned about the Tetsusaiga. In case you hadn't noticed by now, I can't transform it anymore for some strange reason. Its been stuck this way in its dormant original state ever since I bested Sesshoumaru back in that battle." Inuyasha snapped, rising to his feet and holding the Tetsusaiga out to Miroku and the others. He further made his example by swinging the rusty blade through the air a few times with flashes of small electricity shooting out.

"The Tetsusaiga can't transform? Now that is strange. You would think after fighting your brother and pulling off the Bakuryuuha at the last minute the cause would just be your own energy having been too low to use it properly." Sango said, walking up next to Miroku. "Are you sure it doesn't have anything to do with that?"

"The injuries you've sustained may still take another few hours to heal. You have to keep in mind that facing off against Sesshoumaru while he wields the Toukijin one of the biggest risks you can take. You saw the destruction he caused with the few swipes of the sword he's done alone. If it wasn't for us you may have not made it if Sesshoumaru made a come back from the Bakuryuuha attack." Miroku commented as he took the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha's hand and inspected it closely.

"Heh! Who cares how strong he was with that sword? The bottom line is that even though the odds were against me I still came out on top. But the chances are that if I could still use Tetsusaiga in its stronger form I could have taken the opportunity to easily finish Sesshoumaru off." Inuyasha arrogantly crossed his arms.

"Yeah, but the case in point is, you didn't. You were too weakened to continue fighting so that's why we all had to drag you off, right?" corrected Shippo. Inuyasha punched the fox boy hard in the head, knocking him to the ground.

"Owwwwwww!!!!! Hey, what did you do THAT for!? I was only trying to help!" Shippo squealed angrily, as a huge bump appeared on top of his head. He tried to rub the irritating pain away furiously as Inuyasha leaned forward and shook a tight fist in the air.

"I was NOT weak! I still had enough strength left! Maybe if you hadn't interfered I would have been in a TOTALLY different position right about now!!!" Inuyasha yelled. "Keep your ridiculous helpful comments to yourself, Shippo! Nobody asked you!"

"There's no need to be so brutal with everyone! Calm down! Let's concentrate on the matter at hand, alright?" Sango said, holding Inuyasha's fist back and putting it down.

"Geez, I don't know why I even bother anymore! His violent temper is going to get the best of him one of these days!" Shippo said, as Kirara came up and nudged the boy's nasty head bump. "Yow! Kirara, stop! Its sensitive enough as it is!"

"Hmm. This is very interesting." Miroku announced, ignoring the rest of the party's banter as he stared at the Tetsusaiga's blade. Inuyasha and the others turned to attention, everyone startled by the monk's words.

"Hm? What's going on, Miroku? Is something the matter?" Inuyasha asked, his ears twitching nervously at what he was about to hear next.

"Well, from what can I tell... I can easily sense an evil aura surrounding the Tetsusaiga. As a matter of fact if memory serves me well, this would be the exact same kind of power that Sesshoumaru's Toukijin can release. Did you not sense it earlier, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"What? An evil aura? Now that you mention it... I may have not been able to sense it since most of energy is still trying to recover right now as we speak. So are you saying Sesshoumaru somehow brazed the Tetsusaiga with Toukijin's power? But that can't be possible at all. I wasn't anywhere _near_ Sesshoumaru when I finished him off with the Bakuryuuha! It can't have anything to do with the Kaze no Kizu either, as that attack always worked for me." Inuyasha said in a surprised tone.

"I can't necessarily explain it myself either. While it remains true that the proximity between you and your brother was quite a far distance during the closing of the fight, I still can't shake the fact that the Tetsusaiga is siphoning off a great deal of outright dead energy." Miroku replied, as he saw a faint glimmer of purplish light surrounding the blade.

"Which would explain why Inuyasha cannot transform the sword to begin with. Its the only logical conclusion that's apparent." Sango added. "But isn't there anyway to even get rid of the aura at all? Couldn't you use your powers to try to exorcise it from the Tetsusaiga, Miroku?"

"Although it would be possible, I'm afraid Toukijin's excess energy, or whatever circumstances caused this to happen, is far too strong beyond my own power to even attempt such an act. A mere talisman spell would not nearly be enough to do away with this kind of aura if it can muster up the ability to disallow the sword from being used the way its supposed to." Miroku said.

"Terrific. This is really terrific!" an annoyed Inuyasha expressed. "The Tetsusaiga is virtually useless right about now and I certainly can't make the mistake of trying to use it against an enemy. I thought it was challenge enough wielding it before I defeated Ryuukotsusei, but now you're actually telling me that somehow the Toukijin renders my sword powerless? This is really a load of pure bullshit if I've heard it."

"I'm afraid there is really nothing I can do, even with my expertise in these kinds of spells." Miroku said while putting the Tetsusaiga back into Inuyasha's hands. He stepped back and crossed his arms, closing his eyes in deep thought. "But you're forgetting one thing. While this situation isn't going very well, have you given consideration that maybe Toutousai could possibly help you? Perhaps he may be able to discover the reasoning behind this occurrence."

"Heh, that old fart? Come on, Miroku. He's a sword smith, not a magician. Its bad enough I would have to hear his pointless blabbing about the sword let alone some other crap about my not being able to use it right now. Is that one of the best ideas you could come up with?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he placed the Tetsusaiga back in its sheath.

"It wouldn't hurt to try though, would it? This is the same man who's forged a sword from your own fang. Maybe he can come up with a way to disperse Toukijin's aura. He has come through for you many times before, admittedly." Sango quietly said, looking at her dog demon friend straight in the eye.

"You're giving him too much credit, Sango. But fine! I won't argue about it. What choice do I have at this point, anyway? But the only problem that remains is this puts a serious dent in our search for Mount Harunai. The longer we stand around here talking the night away, the more we're heavily pressed for time." Inuyasha said, his amber eyes twitching out of concern and worry. Miroku and the others became silent, all of them exchanging forlorn glances with each other.

"Yes, that does indeed pose a halt to our progress. It is imperative that we at least find the next village before the next day break. A highly significant amount has noticeably passed and if we don't push ourselves to move any further than... I would have to say that we may not make it to the northern mountains on time." Miroku said with regret.

"Miroku, don't say that! We can do it, right? We've come this far, and even with all of the distractions we've been facing its still highly possible we can find that mountain... right?" Shippo bounced to his feet, angry at his friends for almost turning pessimistic about the current situation.

"We won't fail, Shippo! I'm not even going to say it or let the thought run across my mind. I don't care what happens. I've already stated that I'm going to do whatever it takes to find that Ringenkai Plant... and rest assured none of us is going to turn our backs from any kind of hope that would be able to help right now." Inuyasha said.

"Yes, but what are we going to do at this point? Are we going to continue to press on?" Sango asked.

"Look, I have an idea. Why don't I go to see Toutousai while the rest of you guys go on without me? I know this is a risk we're taking but things are getting tight and I'm certainly not going to be caught with my tail between my legs if we happen to run into another unexpected trap or two along the way. Without the Tetsusaiga's use this would only leave my defenses wide open to anything." Inuyasha announced to his friends.

"Inuyasha, are you sure this is wise? Perhaps we may be better off concentrating on our original task at hand." Miroku questioned.

"I'm sure, alright. There's no other way to go around this if I'm going to find a way to restore my sword back to its full power. Since I already know the direction you're heading in I should be able to catch up with you easily. That's provided that this problem can even be solved. But hey, I'm not one to spread bad karma am I? Alright, I'm going now!" Inuyasha said as he turned around and stormed off into the misty rain. Exiting the forest, Inuyasha darted through the flooded plains and leapt away into the distance until he was no longer visible.

"There he goes... I really hope Toutousai might be able to see what's wrong." said Shippo.

"I still don't know about this, Miroku. Should we really let him go at this alone?" Sango asked, still staring at the path where Inuyasha had left the group.

"He'll be fine. I wouldn't place any worries about this, as by the time we get back on track Inuyasha won't be left far behind. He will find us as we're only going on straight path." Miroku said, exchanging his staff from one hand to the other and turning to Sango. "Are you able to walk or shall my assistance still be needed?"

"Thank you, but I should be alright for now. We had better keep our word and move along before noon hits. Even if it may seem the weather says entirely different." Sango said tiredly, her eyes obviously evading Miroku's concerning glance as they shifted towards the grassy ground.

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"Hmm... Sango is most likely worried about how Inuyasha will fare from our group's separation as much as I am. Besides, without the use of the Tetsusaiga we don't what other dangers could be lurking while Inuyasha's defenses are cut down. If it weren't for him being a half demon things certainly wouldn't have gotten as far as they did at this point." Miroku thought to himself as he and Shippo gently climbed onto Kirara's back.

Sango bent over and strapped her Hiraikotsu onto her back and joined Miroku and Shippo. As she sat down she realized Miroku's sudden silence. "Miroku? Is something the matter?"

"Oh! Its nothing at all. Just lost in my thoughts is all..." Miroku's voice trailed off as he turned his head to peek back at Sango right behind him. "The less worrying everyone does the more work that can be completed. So let's go." the monk said, not a moment soon before Kirara bolted up into the cloudy skies carrying her weary passengers with her into the mystified nothingness.

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About twenty miles away to the west somewhere near a grand pool of water where the old age acre of a drenched bamboo forest, a downpour of frequent rain was breaking down into the area joining in unison with a stream of the clear liquid splashing down at the feet of a young man that stood shrouded in the dim fog.

His appearance blending almost perfectly with the surrounding and infinitesimal whiteness that served as camouflage to anyone who dared to guess so upon trespassing into the area. The light whoosh of the wind combined with the trickling patter of rain bathed the man in its pristine natural happenings. It was only three seconds later that same man took a step forward as the fog pulled aside to reveal his fragile but seasoned face. That face belonged to Tarensei, one of the five members of the Shinkantetsu.

"Ahhh... It has been such a long time ever since I had last drew in a single breath of the fresh dewy air. One of the coming attractions before the winter hits, I would have thought that the place I was standing in was actually frozen in the season of Spring." Tarensei said softly, raising one hand in front of him and sighing as he felt the droplets of rain crash down onto the smooth palm of his right hand.

Tarensei blinked, drawing another sigh before putting his hand back down to his side. His socks only being slightly drenched by the mystical water he stood upon with long dead and decayed cherry blossoms floating upon the surface. An expansive swarm of fireflies buzzed silently in the air above some of the blooming flowers sprouting from the grassy shore, giving off their yellow flashes of light as if they were signaling an oncoming period of nirvana.

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"Alas, all living things in this world must die eventually. But legend has it that for every death that occurs someone is born soon after. So is life truly ever truly wasted? I feel that despite my being banished for nearly five hundred centuries, my life has probably been destined to end far before it even began." Tarensei thought to himself, walking over to the shore of the tiny dreamlike oasis and sitting down at its edge.

Releasing the sheath that contained his masamune sword and setting it aside onto the grass, Tarensei kicked his feet into the air like how a small child would for no reason. The soles of his red slippers dangled since his heels were elevated higher. Hoisting himself back up he turned and picked a dandelion from the ground. His emerald eyes still as time itself, he lovingly caressed the tiny gift of nature with his pupils.

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"I've always asked myself, why are we given life just to have it taken away from us before we could even decipher the whole idea of what the future may hold for us? I never actually wanted a future. If I could start my life all over again, I would personally opt to not be born at all. But then again had it not for me being alive I would have never been able to enjoy the wonders of this world, basking in its wonderful and peaceful sights." Tarensei thought, pinching the stem of the dandelion between his thumb and index finger.

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"Like this flower, it signifies the event of how long life can possibly last... Plants live shortly, humans live, demons live longer, yet this Earth itself lives forever. Quite an interesting concept to say the least... But what I am to worry? Perhaps this was my second calling to be alive again, just as it was for my other four fellow warriors. Had it not been for Naraku specifically, I may as well have remained in that accursed obelisk until the end of time. Frozen in a state of unconscious..." Tarensei then suddenly giggled, flicking his long purple hair to the right while narrowing his eyes.

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"I've always asked too many questions. Ever since I was a child at that. But if it was one thing that made me turn the other cheek to the life I live now... correction, to the life I previously lived... is all to the bastard events of my childhood. Growing up the way I was... was not particularly easy as anyone would expect. In fact it wasn't beautiful at all, and the toils and nightmares that tormented me for as long as I can remember was shunned off as being quite ugly. Horrible even..." Tarensei's thoughts trailed off as he found himself mentally drawing back to his childhood many centuries ago...

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"Far before I've joined the ranks of the Shinkantetsu..."

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"Ahhh!!!" Tarensei loudly squealed in pain. He was pushed to the dirt ground with great force, nearly breaking his arm upon the hard impact. "Ow!!! That hurt!!! Stop it!!!" the little boy screamed defensively as a taller and stronger boy stood before him.

"You're not one of us at all, you freak! You're definitely not a boy, you're just a girl... and just like all girls they hurt easily!" the boy accused, being the one who pushed Tarensei down.

"Yeah, he's just a sissy girl who can't fight back. Freak!" a second kid chimed in, who was standing behind the first boy. "Why don't you just go play with the other girls instead of always trying to follow us all the time?"

"But... but I'm not a girl! You don't understand! Why do you keep calling me something that I'm not!?" an innocent but battered Tarensei said, the corner of his soft lips stained with blood and his cheek grazed with bruise from having a rock thrown at him earlier by the same group of boys that were harassing him on a daily basis.

"Liar! We don't care what the heck you say! You're a girl freak and nothing more! Come on guys, let's get him!" a third boy said as he grabbed a stray piece of wood lying on the ground and proceeded to beat Tarensei with it. The other boys joined in as well, slamming stones and sticks onto the poor bishounen child for what seemed like an eternity.

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"It all started with me being orphaned into a tiny village located just off an old plantation with poor housing and not many other kids who resided there, but at least they actually had a family to always go back home to. I was deemed as the unlucky one as none of the adults specifically cared for me but this one man. But even then I can't say he cared for me, because basically he almost treated me the same just as much as the village kids."

"Goddamn it!!! Look at you! You look awful as usual. Tch, I'm not the least bit surprised as you end up coming home looking like this every damned day." Tarensei's caretaker said, an old man with a vicious attitude. The man threw down a bowl of half eaten porridge and meat onto the table that Tarensei sat at, the spoon nearly flying out of it and hitting the boy in the face.

"It wasn't my fault, sir... Every day I just try to fit in, but its no use. They just keep on beating me and there's so many of them. They call me all sorts of names and hit me with things. I hate it, I really do!" Tarensei said, his glazed eyes falling onto the cold food in front of him. Realizing that he no longer had an appetite, he grew tired of eating after whatever the old man left behind. The caretaker was too lazy to ever cook the small lad a decent meal nevertheless give him something other than the same sickening dish of porridge and meat every day.

"Same old excuses! That's all I ever hear. I swear, off all the kids I've considered taking in it had to be a purple haired pansy. What kind of boy grows up having purple hair, anyway? Of course the other boys are going to hit you! Prancing around looking like anything less of the gender you were born as is going to attract the attention of bullies. If you ask me I'm just plain sick of telling you this over and over again, so when are you going to toughen up!?" the old man snapped as slammed a dirty chipped cup onto the table. "Hey, are you listening to me boy?"

Tarensei nearly jumped at the man's outburst. His little heart pounding faster than he could take and his face flushed red out of anger, sadness, and just plain embarrassment Tarensei couldn't even respond. His hands were shaking and he kept clenching and unclenching them to maintain his composure.

"Falling on deaf ears, boy? Maybe my words are finally gettin' through to ya. Instead of staring into the mirror and fixing your wounds maybe you'll finally start learning how to fight back. I'm sick of all your whining and complaining, and what do expect an old man like me to do about it? Shit, one punch in the gut and I'll be on the ground suffering from a heart attack. Kids these days..." the man muttered, turning his back to the boy and leaning over the wash basin the corner of the room. Tarensei sat silent as he heard the man mumble to himself while washing some rags and clothes. The boy sighed while holding back his tears and then soon forced himself to eat the cold leftover food he was given.

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"Constantly on the hour I teetered on the verge between either running away or committing suicide and just ending it all right there. How much longer could I take any of it? I wanted to get away from it all but yet I still stayed at the village. One day I would have my mouth busted or my hair yanked or given a black eye or having my nose broken. I was used to the pain soon enough, and no matter how many times I was roughly manhandled by my peers and orally disciplined by my caretaker I grew insensitive and oblivious to all types of pain. I could endure anything as long as I put my mind to it. I could have been burned at the stake and I could have ignored it all..."

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A few years later one morning, Tarensei was walking through the village just coming back from gathering some water from the spring when suddenly he felt an immense pain shoot through his stomach. With no one seeing him, the sickly boy stumbled into a small alley between two huts, collapsing to his knees and the pail of water long dropped to the ground behind him.

"Nnnghhh... wh... what's wrong with me? I... I feel like I'm going to explode!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!" Tarensei cried out loud in the darkness of the alley, as he felt a pulsating vibration shoot through his entire body straight from his head to his toes. His green eyes flashed red for just about a moment and he felt a pang of pain rivet through his hands. Tarensei stared at them and noticed that his normal fingernails were replaced by long claws, and right after that his front teeth were pushed down to reveal two sharp grown fangs in their place.

"What's happening to me!?!? What could be causing this... to happen to me?" Tarensei uttered, as he crawled to a stop near a shard of glass leaning against the clay wall to his right. The boy was mortified at seeing his own reflection from within the glass, the being on the other side of his own image having completely replaced the handsome face that he was so accustomed to have known.

"Gah!!! That... that can't be me! I look like... a total monster!!!" Tarensei reared back, unable to make himself continue to stare at the glass any further. He could not help but howl loudly at the top of his lungs, the newfound unbarring pain tearing through his body like a hot knife through butter. Little did the boy suspect that a certain group of older children just happened to hear the strange noises nearby, their curiosity causing them to investigate.

"Hey, what was that?" one of the boys in the group said, who was part of the exact same group of kids that insulted and picked on Tarensei almost daily.

"Sounds like a dead animal or something. Let's check it out! It came from over there!" the leader of the group said, apparently being the one that Tarensei had grown to hate most of all.

The pack of six boys soon arrived at the same alleyway from where the howls of pain were emanating from, and their faces turned into nasty scowls of despise as they laid eyes on Tarensei. The purple haired child's back was turned to them, and this made the leader angry.

"Well, if it isn't the weak little baby girl! On your knees crying as usual. Should have known someone like you would probably sneak into this little place to wank off that thing you call a dick! What, did you cut it off and turned into that thing girls have?" the leader mocked, as the other boys behind him laughed as they picked up some stray pebbles and stones lying on the ground.

"Grrrrrrr..... leave... m... me alone... leave!!!" Tarensei growled under his breath, the pain in his body continuing to grow stronger with each passing second getting up to the point where it was inhumanly unbearable. The foolish boys ignored the child's warnings and slowly closed in on Tarensei, their mocking cackles putting a strain on his sensitive ears.

"Ha ha ha!!! The girl isn't even listening to us! Pretending to make like we're not here, huh? Well, let me tell you something! Using your little imagination isn't going to save you from what we're going to do you next!" the leader said, walking up and kicking Tarensei in the side and sending the shuddering child sprawling a few inches away. One of the boys saw the glass shard and kicked it hard, shattering into several pieces. One particular long shard clattered onto the floor and one of the other boys picked it up.

"Why don't we show this girl what happens when you show the tough kids disrespect!" the boy said, walking up to Tarensei and grabbing him by the back of his tattered tunic. However, the boy's face contorted into a look of horror and disgust on his face as he saw Tarensei's newly transformed face, consisting of the ugly sharp fangs and long claws in addition to the startling red eyes and blood curdling growl that was let out.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! WH...WHAT... GYAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!" the boy's final moment came when Tarensei suddenly jumped up and violently yanked the glass shard away. Tarensei then proceeded to plunge the edge of the glass shard into both of the boy's eyes, gouging them both out in an almost instantaneous movement. The boy screamed at the top of his lungs as two fountains of blood came spraying out of his eye sockets.

"MY EYESSSSSS!!!!! MY EYEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!" The boy cried to no avail as he crumpled to the floor in a pool of his own blood. Tarensei then leapt forward and slashed his claws through two of the other boys, slicing their torsos right off their bodies in a bloody explosion. The leader of the group was immediately struck with over shock, unable to move or run from seeing his friends being massacred right before his very eyes.

Tarensei grabbed the last boy that remained and snapped his neck, then ripped it off with very little effort as yet another gushing flow of blood sprayed out. The red liquid splashed onto the walls of the narrow alley, and also onto the leader's face and clothes. In an instant, the kid leader was the only one left standing and was attempting to scream, but no sound came out due to the shock still bearing down on him, the gruesome deaths of his friends replaying in his mind over and over again like a broken record.

"Ah... ah... ahhhhh..." a weak cry escaped the kid's lips as he stared at the brooding Tarensei that stalked slowly towards him with an evil murderous look of intent on his darkened face.

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"What's wrong? I thought you were tough when it comes to hitting girls." Tarensei said in the most deepest and evil sounding voice that put a jolt of fear shivering down the boy's spine, as if it were a confirmation in setting him in place for the next murder that was about to occur.

"No... no please!!! D... don't kill me! I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I made fun of you! Just don't kill me!!!" the boy pleaded, as tears began to form and fall from his eyes. Panic struck as hard as the tension that Tarensei's ghastly appearance spread like wildfire onto the deciding situation. Tarensei's inner conflicted debated within himself whether he wanted to continue killing or not.

Should he spare the boy's life? A question that kept zooming in and out of his mind faster than nanoseconds could count, although he seemed time had actually slowed down as he waited to discover the answer to his foregoing question. For a moment, what was left of his human essence suddenly disappeared and drowned into a murky sea of a new entity that controlled his every thought and emotion. Perhaps that of a becoming demon.

But sympathy for the weak was no longer an option or a route that Tarensei's newer side did not want to take. Snarling like the evil beast that he has becoming, he sprang forward and performed one single slash with his right claw, slicing the boy into three separate vertical cuts. The severed parts of the boy's body collapsed onto the ground in one grand burst of blood, with internal organs, broken bones, and brain matter all sprayed out and releasing a distinctive smell of a rotten body.

Dragging a tangled amount of intestines and who knew what other bloody pieces of human flesh torn between the demon child's fingers, the confused transformed being quickly barraged himself out of the alley and back into the streets, plowing his way past an approaching man and woman who were coming back into the village.

"And so I was going to fetch some live chickens from the yard next door and.... hey! Oof! Watch where you're going, kid!!!" the man said as Tarensei bumped into his leg and continued to run away while covering his face.

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"Grrrrr.... Out of the way!!!" Tarensei roared into the air, his tattered clothes still covered with blood.

"Kids these days! They surely should learn better manners these days! Why, I should... Wait a moment! Wasn't that blood I saw on him? What's going on?" the woman said, turning around in the direction of the nearby alley.

"I saw that rowdy kid running from there. It was probably just mud he was playing in or something. Let's just get home, okay? I have a lot of work to in the fields this evening and..." the man's words were cut off by the woman's sudden screaming, his eyes blinking rapidly from seeing her raise her hands to her face. She was stricken in pure horror at the sight of the scene as he sprinted up to her side.

"AIYEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!" the woman nearly fainted at what she saw what was remaining of the boys' bodies in the alley, and the man was teetering on the verge between throwing up vomit from his mouth and falling to the ground out of disbelief himself.

"Wh... what the hell had happened... here?! What could have possibly..._ done_ something like this?" the man said, holding his throat to keep down the oncoming feeling that attempted to rush up from his stomach. The woman turned away and almost broke out in a frenzied state, running to the main village to tell the other people of the incident. As the man followed her, it turned out that Tarensei was hiding in the bushes a few feet away, keeping a watchful eye on the escaping couple.

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"A creature or a foul demon was responsible for something like this! No human could have ever done such a sick action to any children! We have a demon around here!" a voice could be heard in the far distance thanks to Tarensei's increased hearing ability. But he did not necessarily care as to who said what because he was far too distracted by the amount of tears running down his cheeks.

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"A foul demon! A monster! A creature! A freak!" so many voices echoed throughout Tarensei's mind he didn't even realize which words belonged to whom. It seemed that his own head was stemming the same kind of atrocities that he was forced to live with for as long as he's been orphaned. But he could not take it anymore.

Before he even could be found and hunted down by the villagers and be punished for the murder crime he's committed, Tarensei's legs took him away further than he could imagine. The young child ran and ran into the woods, off of the main path and disappearing into the green shrubbery that concealed his repulsive appearance.

The more he thought about the consequences of what he had just done, the more scared he became. He kept on running and not caring where he was going. Just as long as he escaped from that village he wasn't concerned where his fate would take him. Away from the bad memories, away from the physical and emotional abuse he was put through, and away from the knowledge that no one ever cared for him.

"Ahhhhh!!!!" Tarensei's thoughts were broken up when his foot accidentally hit an upturned root, causing him to tumble over and fallen down a steep hill. He crashed down several feet past some vines and bushes, feeling small amounts of pain as he slammed into some rocks and with some sharp wooden sticks tearing into his arms and legs. Upon falling further down into the abyss which was a gaping hole of no return, he heard a small trickling of water. The next thing he knew, everything around him had been swallowed up into infinite darkness.

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Tarensei awoke to the same familiar trickling water he heard before he had lost consciousness. He was awakened due to a light rush of whooshing rain, his eyes opening to a beautiful view of clear gray skies above with the liquid blades of water falling straight at his face. He had apparently fallen into a shallow ravine from a mud slide whose remnants were apparent from the edge of the cliff he plummeted from.

"Nnnghhh... wh... where am I? How long have I been here?" Tarensei groaned, slowly rising up to his knees. From what he could tell, he must have blacked out upon impact of hitting the hard ground, but strangely enough none of his bones were broken nor did he feel any kind of extreme pain.

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"That's weird... if I had fell from such an immense height I shouldn't have even survived. Was it because... my monster form prevented me from being hurt? No... I'm not a monster! That was just a nightmare I had. That's all... a nightmare." Tarensei thought, what was once his sparkling emerald eyes now a dull color from his weariness. He stumbled a few feet forward, staggering while trying to regain his bearings. The hollow sound of the running water at his feet was soothing to his ears, but his entire body felt cold and clammy from the weather. The skies only became darker as he sensed an oncoming heavy storm of rain.

"I'd better find some sort of shelter or at least something to keep warm." the boy said, flattening his palm against the cool wall of the ravine. Upon coming to terms that he wasn't a creature less than human, his clothes were still caked with dried blood. That of his own and his victims, the fabric torn from his own claws and stretched out slightly out of proportion. He was once again in the state of a human but deep down in his mind there was a portion that knew he was only fooling himself to avoid the real truth. However the only thing Tarensei was concerned about was finding a safe place to reside.

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"I must have been knocked out for days. I feel like I've slept for a thousand years and I can barely move an inch of my body. I don't even know how I'm even able to walk right now. Uhhhh...." Tarensei groaned mentally, pushing his way past a few outstretched branches as he climbed out of the ravine and deeper into the forest.

Soon enough a few minutes later, it was then that he heard the sound of footsteps crunching against some dry leaves followed by a few gruff voices. Tarensei peeked out from behind a downed tree bark and saw a group of men walking towards a small open cave.

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"Who are they? And what are they doing way out here? Are they lost too?" Tarensei foolishly thought, and closely watched the men gather together at the foot of the cave.

"Heh heh heh! We made quite a steal from those hikers, didn't we? For a few people only taking a walk to the mountains I have to admit, they were pretty damn loaded." said Beshi, a thin man holding a large sack against his back.

"Hmph, quit making our steals seem like murder, Beshi. They should have had way more. Half of the crap they had was barely enough to buy a small loaf of bread. Better of stealing it than buying it." a taller man said, seemingly to be the leader of the three man group.

"Yeah, boss! Maybe when this storm passes we can go hit up a few other villagers for some food or something. I've been starving for days on end and its starting to make me go nuts." Sanjo, a short pudgy man said, having a sheathed knife attached to his makeshift armor.

"Alright, enough bickering, Sanjo. Set the stuff up and make a fire. Its going to be a cold one tonight. We have now should last us enough until morning. Then we can move on to bigger things." Boss said, motioning for Beshi to put down the sack.

"Man, I feel like catching some wild boar and cooking it over the fire. I can't tell you how hungry I am." Sanjo said, picking some twigs off the ground in preparation for the fire.

"Go on ahead and try. What makes you think there's going to be any wild boars way out here, fool? We couldn't even find a decent hideout ourselves, that's why we came all the way down here. And I tell you, it wasn't easy in the first place." Boss said, walking over and sitting down directly on the same fallen tree log that Tarensei was hiding right next to. The young boy tried his best to keep quiet, unsure of whether to stay there or try and get away from the area. Questioning if they were good or bad had the most obvious answer as he was aware they were some kind of bandits looting for nothing but food and pleasure.

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"If I stay here they're bound to find me... Maybe I'd better find a way out of here before..." Tarensei let out a small yell of pain as he staggered back against a large rock that was near his feet. He collapsed to the ground and ended up giving away his hiding spot, causing the leader of the bandits to turn and draw a rusty sword from his belt.

"Who's there!? Show yourself now unless you're looking to get killed!" Boss said, pointing his sword in a threatening manner. Tarensei reluctantly rose from behind the log, raising his hands slowly into the air.

"S... stop! I didn't mean any harm! I was just walking by and I saw you guys... I wasn't spying or anything!" Tarensei protested, his little heart pumping faster out of fear than it ever did. His pulse had increased significantly and his lips were trembling. He did not know what the bandits were going do upon discovering him. He drew silent as Sanjo and Beshi came clambering over.

"Well, well! What have we got here! If it isn't some kid. For a moment there I thought it could have been a wild animal. Kind cute for a little girl." Boss said, smirking as he drew his sword.

"What the hell is a girl doing way out here?" Beshi said, walking over to Tarensei and bending down on his knees, lining up his bloodshot eyes directly with the boy's, scaring him even further than he already was. "What business you got snooping around here, huh?"

"Um... I... I'm not a..." Tarensei stuttered, afraid of whatever he was going to say next would warrant his own execution by the bandits. Just then, a loud growling erupted from his stomach. He quickly grabbed his abdomen, his voice lost and his bravery nonexistent.

"Ha ha ha! Looks like we ain't the only hungry ones here. Looks like this little sweetie doesn't have much of a tongue, but I guess she's not adept at finding any food!" Sanjo said, opening the sack and releasing all of the stolen valuables and food that was stored inside. What little there was, a few pieces of bread, cooked meat and some morsels of fish and bits of rice was laid out. Tarensei couldn't help but lust after the food with his eyes upon not having fulfilled his nourishment in so long.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt to share a bit. Go on kid. Have at least some of the bread and meat. Skinny little thing aren't you?" Boss commented, watching the long haired boy slowly wander towards the openly displayed food. It wasn't long before the child's hunger got the best of him as he grabbed the strips of meat and stuffed it into his waiting mouth, not even taking the time to chew it.

"W... water!" Tarensei blurted out. Beshi turned and took a canteen full of water, handing it to the child. Tarensei grabbed it and drank it, although it was disgusting river water with bits of grain and other mysterious bits laced within it, he didn't care as long as his thirst was quenched. The dirty water splashed over his stained clothing and drenched his legs, all damage being ignored by the power hungry boy.

A few moments later, Tarensei fell backwards, his stomach full from what little rations the bandits had given him. Although it was odd how the men just simply stared at him as he ate, with the occasional snickering from Sanjo, Tarensei was starting to think they were no harm after all. If they had been willing to give him food out of pity, then why should he be frightened?

"Enjoyed your meal, honey?" Sanjo asked him, letting out a big burp after chewing through a piece of fish and taking a swig of alcohol.

"Mmm... yes, I was really hungry. Thank you for giving me this food, sir. I don't hold it against you for stealing it from someone else... But I am grateful for your sympathies." Tarensei politely implored, and this only brought out a laugh from the bandits. The boy only stared back in confusion.

"Ha ha ha ha! Well, at least she knows its every man for himself. Guess her bitch of a mother must have taught her that!" Beshi said, slapping his knee. "This kid is too much."

Boss then walked up, his arms crossed with a strange sneer on his face. "So, now that you've had your fill, I take it that you'll be paying us back handsomely with some money?"

"M... money? But I don't have any money! I can't pay for the food. I'm sorry, sir." Tarensei honestly replied, motioning to his empty pockets to prove that he wasn't lying.

"But surely you didn't think we'd just give you the food for free, right?" Sanjo said with a serious and threatening tone, rising to his feet. "After all the hard work we did to take it, we don't let good food like this go unwarranted, you understand little girl?"

Tarensei's heart skipped a beat and his face was flushed red. Somehow he could clearly sense that the bandits were not being sympathetic and that these were men made of not honesty but vicious lies. He heard Boss unsheathed his sword and saw Sanjo take the small knife from his belt, making it visually clear that were possibly going to kill the boy.

"Ahhhh!!!! Help!!! Help me!!!" Tarensei yelled, springing up from his feet about to run, but in a blur Beshi roughly grabbed his arm and swung him into the stone cavern wall. A quick surge of pain shot up Tarensei's spine, causing him to double over.

"Oh no, you don't!!! You're not going anywhere! You're not getting off without paying us back, even if it means a little pain in the process!!!" Beshi swung his fist and punched Tarensei hard in the stomach, causing an eruption of blood and vomit to shoot from the boy's mouth. Half digested pieces of meat splattered onto the ground and partially on Beshi's clothes.

"Argh! Shit! Stupid little bitch threw up on me!" Beshi yelled in disgust, with Sanjo laughing at the situation. "Hey, that shit isn't funny, Sanjo! I oughta throw your face in it!"

"Ha ha ha! Fool! You're doing it all wrong. You need to show the girl some respect if you want them to pay their dues. Ain't nothing wrong with a little fuck to go along with the pain, am I right?" Sanjo said, smiling evilly as he pulled off the cloth skin at his crotch as he bare his naked shame. Beshi smiled in response.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. I like your thinking." Beshi said as he stripped his clothing off as well, half baring himself his disgusting naked and scarred body and holding his genitalia firmly in his hand as he yanked Tarensei up with his other free hand. The boy was still half vomiting and coughing up blood from the single punch he was given, and showed now signs of stopping.

"I'll do you guys a favor and hold him down so he doesn't struggle. We want her to remember this moment for a lifetime - provided that she's still alive after this! Soon to be a dead little virgin." Boss said, pinning Tarensei's arms to the ground so he was unable to fight back as Sanjo and Beshi ripped the boy's clothing off to reveal his manhood.

"What the hell is this!? This ain't no goddamned girl! Its a fucking boy!" Beshi exploded, making him even angrier than before. His face turning red, Sanjo wasn't even expressing any shock, as he was induced into a high sexual lust that didn't seem to shake him from the reality of what was happening.

"So fucking what?! Move the hell over aside - I'm going to make this kid scream my name by the time I'm finished with him. Hell, if you're lucky I might make him swallow everything you give him if you're willing to go through with this!" Sanjo said, pressing his genitalia against Tarensei's bare naked buttocks. He was becoming frustrated because it was almost impossible to perform any kind of penetration with the young child to engage in, but tried his best to force it in and still no decent results.

"Come on, what are you waiting for? Don't tell me you can't even fit it in!" Boss yelled, obviously becoming excited at the sight of the raping of a boy. "Do you plan on making him pay for our food or not?"

"Help... please, someone help me...!!!" Tarensei weakly gurgled, his voice distorted by the blood that gushed from his red coated mouth.

"I'm trying, goddamn it! I can't get it in!!! Get a stick so I can stretch this kid's ass wider!" Sanjo said, grunting forcibly as he kept grinding against Tarensei's buttocks. However, Sanjo's grunting was soon cut off with a nasty scream as he was swiftly stabbed directly through the chest with a sharp blade from behind. Beshi turned around in surprise, caught off guard.

"ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" Sanjo screamed, with blood shooting up like a fountain through his chest as he was violently pulled backwards. The blade was attached to a chain and was cleanly ripped out from the bandit's chest, killing him instantly. A man shrouded in the darkness of the rain was standing on the tree log a few feet away, his identity a complete mystery.

"SANJO!!!" Beshi yelled, left in horror at the long trail of blood splattered on the ground that led up to Sanjo's motionless naked body.

Before Beshi could even say anymore, the mysterious figure threw a small pointed knife through the air, crashing right into Beshi's throat in a mere instant. Beshi could say no more or even breathe as his throat was slashed open by the knife, with blood flowing out freely and causing the bandit to crumple to the ground. Making various attempts to scream, he only made the pain even worse as he felt his life slowly draining away.

"What the!? Who the hell are you!?" Boss demanded, letting go of Tarensei. Everything happened so ridiculously fast even Boss could not defend himself the moment the man in the darkness leapt into the air, doing a somersault and using the same chain blade attack on Boss, this time tearing the bandit's head off with a single swipe.

"URKKKKKKK----!!!!!!!!!" Boss' scream was cut vaguely short as his decapitated head flew into the air and bounced away into the dense thickness of the rainy night. The figure that had apparently saved Tarensei landed quietly onto the ground, revealing his masked face and black tight clothing with golden armor guards. Rounding up his morning star, which was the chain blade, he walked over to the shivering boy and picked him up gently.

".............." the man's eyes were stone cold through his mask as he looked over Tarensei's seeing the boy's flowing tears and bloodied battered body. Saying nothing, he carried the child in his arms in a fatherly manner as he walked away into the woods.

"Help... please... help me..." Tarensei kept repeating over and over as if he were stuck in some sort of trance. Mentally he could still hear the screams and voices of hatred that paralyzed him for so long, not even aware that he was being whisked away from it all by who could have been his only savior and guide to a better and more defensive life.

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One bright early morning, the sun's rays shone upon Tarensei's face like a scorching wake up call that felt as if it came from heaven itself. The boy yawned peacefully, his mind etched with peace and rid of the constant reminders of his inner demonic self. Waking up from what seemed like an eternal slumber that his spirit would have chosen not to emerge from, Tarensei was greeted with a thoroughly cooked piece of meat sitting above a small fire on a stick.

"Huh? Where am I?" Tarensei awakened to see that he was lying on a large pile of soft leaves just built right for a child of his size, and that he was sitting inside of a very tiny limestone cavern. Only having one opening, Tarensei slid himself out of the comfort of the leaf bed and gazed upon how neatly kept the cave was. There were several candles lit up against the edges of the walls, all giving off a beautiful orange glow to the area. The sweet smell of cherry incense filled the air, and some old age weapons were sitting in a stack in the corner of the cavern.

For a place such as this, it was considerably well kept for either a temporary hiding spot or a makeshift home for a mountain hermit. But Tarensei could have never considered any of these things provided the fact that his memory was completely devoid of what previously happened to him and yet that was only one night ago. His brain racked of mixed up thoughts and fragments of amnesia were only getting the best of him, but now that he felt safe wherever he was, that was the only thing that could keep him at ease for the moment.

"Must eat..." Tarensei said, reaching for the cooked meat above the fire and taking the stick from the wooden handle, biting into the rich and juicy loin. The boy's sustenance had experienced a brand new kind of taste he had never been exposed to before, with his tongue being so normally used to porridge and stale bread. Having actual cooked meat that tasted like a piece of a dream to him was only the beginning.

"Oh, I see you are already awake. That was quite fast." A deep voice announced from the cave entranced, making Tarensei spin around out of fright. He was ready to drop the food and run, part of his broken memory recalling something about "not paying for stolen food". Just as Tarensei glared at him angrily while getting up to his feet, the man gestured his hand out, waving it.

"Please, do not be frightened, boy. I do not mean any harm towards you. The food is all for you. I can safely assume that you do not have anyone to take care of you. I was the one who had brought you all the way out here to the wilderness for your safety." the man said calmly, still dressed in his black clothing and gold armor. However this time, his mask was removed, revealing an older face with a vertical scar down the right side of his face.

Tarensei calmed down unexpectedly. Somehow as he couldn't quite place it - despite how menacing the man had appeared there was something about his voice that the boy could trust without abandon. Taking in the facts that he was even still alive right now and being treated properly, Tarensei had gained the courage to finally speak openly, his own fear now having dispersed.

"Who are you, sir? If you... don't mind my asking." Tarensei asked quietly.

"I am Hanzou. Being that am I normally to refrain from sharing such information with outsiders, there is no need to be so cautious with a young child such as yourself. I am a shinobi, a warrior that has been fleeing from his clan for quite a few years now. Having betrayed my clan, I am shunned to a life of constant escape and lurking in the shadows of the night to evade capture from my pursuers." Hanzou stated as he walked across the area and set two buckets of water down in the corner of the cave.

"Thank you for your... hospital-tality, sir. I am... in your debt." Tarensei said slowly, unable to use larger words in his limited vocabulary. Still a little shaken from last night, he could just barely remember what had happened until parts of his memory began to come back now that he had healed his wounds. He had realized that his stomach was wrapped in large bandages, most likely applied by Hanzou himself as a support brace.

"I believe the word you mean is hospitality. But I understand your words well, child. There is no need for thanks. It was my duty as a warrior... whether to save a defenseless woman or child in danger in amidst of my own personal mission in life. I would not have been able to live with myself if I had taken the option of having your cries for assistance go unheard." Hanzou replied.

"But... where did you come from? And what happened to me? The last I remember is something about owing someone a debt... then all I can recall is incredible amounts of pain..." Tarensei said, sadly looking down at his dirty bare feet. He wiggled his toes out of nervousness, his eyes caked with dried residue from his previous streams of tears.

"You were held up by a group of trash bandits. I had happened to be scouring the woods gathering needed supplies until I had thought I had heard some yelling and cries. That is when I had spotted the bandits pinning you against your will... and... " Hanzou's voice trailed off, deciding that he should leave the detailed part about the attempted rape out. He did not want the boy to suffer from any emotional trauma that may be a result of recalling his amnesia completely.

".... they were going to try to harm you with their blades, but I had stopped them in time. Saving you from danger, that is when I brought you here. You were so badly beaten that you weren't even aware that I had taken you to this place. Soon enough, your wounds were tended to and you were promptly put to bed as you can see." Hanzou said, successfully fixing the missing part of the incident.

"I... I don't know what to say... I can't thank you more than enough for saving my life. I can't remember it very well, but I believe what you say." Tarensei said sadly, his hands curled up into tight fists. His knuckles turning white, he bent over and cried in an outburst. "Thank you, Hanzou!!!" the boy said one last time before he collapsed to the floor, crying out whatever emotion was left inside his body. Hanzou helped the child up, shaking is head out of sympathy.

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"And from then on, that was when my entire life changed. For the better."

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"I can teach you the ways of the shinobi. The first thing you must learn is not offense, but defense. As a result, the best offense is a good defense. As a child you could not do these things because everyone around you has treated you differently... making you feel incompetent in your own abilities. But I can see a far greater strength in you. You can learn the ways in order to become a true warrior where you can amass great strength and transform into an entirely new person. Never looking back at your past. " Hanzou said to the young Tarensei as they both stood face to face in an open grass field.

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"But I don't think I'm ready to do such a thing. Why does it sound like such hard work? I can't become a strong fighter like you... I don't have what it takes... People have treated me so horrible and I've been too weak to fight back or do anything about it..." Tarensei said, his purple hair flowing in the winds.

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"Your spirit exudes confidence. I can sense it within you ever since I first discovered you. Do not waste what little power you have. Take it and build upon it to grower stronger in both mind and body. Nature will take care of the rest. You have far too many abilities that you perhaps are not even aware that exists yet." Hanzou said.

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"To grow stronger... confidence... nature...?" Tarensei asked.

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"Yes." Hanzou said.

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"I want to become stronger. I want to have confidence. I want nature to guide me. Please teach me all that you know, Hanzou-sensei." Tarensei said with a shaky voice.

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"By the age of sixteen I had quickly mastered every single aspect of the shinobi status. I grew from a dirty street child into a strong confident young man. Even Hanzou-sensei had claimed that I had surpassed everything that even he couldn't do. I've increased my strength, stamina, speed, and agility. So fast it was to the point where I could come close to breaking the calm of the gentle wind itself with just ten steps." Tarensei thought, staring at the pool of water in front of him.

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"Then one day while sparring with him as he was well into the beginning of his old age, that was when the people from his clan had finally caught up with him. Telling me to flee and leave him so that I wouldn't become associated with his treachery, I could only stand by as I saw my teacher fall to the blades of the three pursuers that appeared. Feeling that I failed to protect my master, in a fit of rage I ended up killing his enemies. It was then as I heard my master's last dying breath... he had told me this one quote..."

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"Hanzou-sensei! Please, hold on! Don't die!" the teenage bishounen cried, carefully cradling his Hanzou's head in his arms. Hanzou's gaping wound could not be stopped from bleeding profusely, no matter how many times Tarensei kept pressing the cloth from his own gi to suppress the blood flow.

"Tarensei... always... remember... You may always escape the enemy. However, you can never escape your past. It is looking back at the past is what truly makes one stronger. Do not use force intertwined with anger for it only brings blindness... you can only... rectify the wrongs that were done to you by your own hand and... no one else's. Make your own future... your... mastery of the shinobi arts is complete..." Hanzou was at most exasperated as he sensed the last of his old age life leave his own body, his last vision being that of the innocent young man he's fought so hard to protect and raise as if he was his own child.

"Hanzou-sensei! Hanzou-sensei! Nooooo!!!" Tarensei wailed, near the breaking point of shedding tears. This had momentarily reminded Hanzou of when he first discovered the boy in the secluded woods whose life was being threatened by lowly bandits. It was these tears of corrected innocence is what made Hanzou see the locked potential inside of the child, although he could also sense something far greater beating within but logic could not totally explain it.

Hanzou, an escaping shinobi felt that it was his one last duty to carry out in teaching Tarensei everything about the mystic arts as he was aware it would only be a few more years before he was flushed out of hiding by the members of his old clan. Even though Hanzou had never explained why he had left his clan, it was for reasons that he felt he did not need to share with anyone else besides his own self. But what he knew was that Tarensei being his one and only disciple, could carry down the arts further than he ever could for a lifetime... and hopefully make a change for the better. That was the final thought that struck Hanzou's mind before his eyes closed softly, marking his death right in his own student's arms.

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"HANZOU-SENSEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tarensei's scream of overwhelming emotion shattered the peaceful lines of the quiet air in the middle of the wilderness, followed by a fully streaming echo of pain, remorse, and unprecedented sadness.

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"I don't even know how many days it took for me to overcome my grief for my sensei's death. It even seemed like months, years even. But perhaps it was only the exact same day I had ended up most likely going against my master's code of the warrior. I was tired of fate taking things away from me. Tired of being wrongly mistreated by common society. It had been like that ever since I was child. I couldn't bear to take on the world alone knowing that I was born a demon underneath the ruse of a human's body." Tarensei thought, as his fingers fiddled with the red ribbon tied to the hilt of his sword.

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"After all, where I could run to? But that didn't matter to me at the moment - because with my newfound strength I had decided to take my vengeance back to the roots of where my personal turmoil started. My old village." Tarensei's mind flashed back to the last segment of his memories, where he had entered the old village of where he was improperly raised by his horrible caretaker and the various folk who always treated him like dirt or even abused him simply because he was known for being a freakish child.

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"It was all too easy. Normally I know had Hanzou-sensei had still been alive at the time, I know for a fact deep down in my heart he would never have approved of such an action for me to do. But I was simultaneously filled with rage and sadness. More than enough to slaughter all of the people that resided in that carcass hole of a place. I hated everyone there, the old man, the many townspeople that constantly commented on my gender, and the ruffians who would harm me for their own sick kicks. None of them, now older and even twice as stupidly ignorant as before, didn't even notice my arrival." Tarensei thought.

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"I walked quietly into the little residential area... in a mere manner of moments my sheer speed had played the part in assisting of the death of every single villager I had came across. I had my fun, causing a mass murdering with the several various executions I could think of on a whim. Not to describe it all, but all I could see was blood. So much blood everywhere it was to the point where the place was tainted in a crimson sea that no mortal could ever hope to rise to the surface of. Its treacherous waters so deep the first wave would devour a weak soul with relative ease." Tarensei smiled to himself.

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"And of course, I had saved the old man for last. Being surprised that he was practically on his death bed, it cost him many limbs that I severed for him to finally remember I was the so called weak child he was forced to raise. Oh, that look of fear and panic on his face just before I disemboweled him all over the floor of his own home. It was truly a sight to behold. Absolutely beautiful.... well, it was until I had realized that there was one person left standing amongst the odd fifty something bodies scattered on the grounds of the village. He wasn't even normal enough to be considered human. And that's when he said those words that altered my course on the path of my future life..."

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The man simply stood there before Tarensei, his arms crossed in a prominent manner. No other gesture could announce the man's intentional audacity to face who could be considered a crazy bloodthirsty person with a sword. However, this situation was different.

"That was simply... excellent. No words can describe how amazed I am by this work of destructive art you have conceived by a single blade that you carry, stained with the blood of many humans... all mixing together to form up a striking deal of evil incarnate." the man said, still not moving from where he stood.

"And just who are you? The best advice I can possibly give you is to leave within three seconds before this sword of mine claims your blood next. And I can assure you, it is always the final slaying of the day that makes it the most wonderful sight of death." Tarensei scoffed with his eyes closed.

"I am willing to pass upon that offer. However, I think I possess a greater offer that exceeds that of yours. An offer that can take your potential and increase to further heights that is capable of providing unmatched strength. Join me, and I can make your most sought after desires come true." the man said, outstretching his hand out towards the purple haired shinobi warrior.

"Unmatched... strength?" the words struck Tarensei with high interest, and before it knew it he found himself extending his hand to meet the man's own...

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"Little did I know I was taking the hand of Kagotaru... the young leader seeking people proficient enough to join the ranks of his soon to be formed battalion to combat against an upcoming war of humans and demons alike... The Ten Thousand Demon Kings... and yet, I've been drawn down to one of the five most powerful beings left on this land. The future was deemed to be bright but faded into a pale star... our status having that of a star's last glimmer of light before it was put out." Tarensei thought.

Tarensei then lifted himself up from the grass with a light huff, picking up his masamune and reattaching it to his hakama. He set down the dandelion flower he was holding earlier and took one last long glance at the pool of water he was standing by, with dead cherry blossoms swiveling around like lost souls on the surface. Watching the light rain fall and all that came to pass, a cold chill fell upon his face.

"This wind... it feels so nice to have it whipping against my face like this. Nature has rejuvenated my body. And now that I have a second chance at life..." Tarensei unsheathed his masamune, slicing it through the air in five quick motions. "I will once again prove to Kagotaru-sama that I will be the first of the Shinkantetsu to restore our order of power to Japan and beyond!"

Tarensei then took off dashing through the bamboo forest at an impeccable rate. His feet caused splashes of water along the ground as he stepped through the many puddles scattered throughout, and his body had started to pick up such immense speed that he literally became faster than light itself, his appearance turning invisible. Even the afterimage that he left behind was an instant blur, only remaining to be seen for a split second trail.

"Beware Inuyasha!!! I'm coming for you!!! Wait for me! Ha ha ha ha ha!!!" Tarensei laughed in a maniacal deranged tone of voice, his face transforming into his horrifying demonic visage. His hair shot up into wild freakish tendrils, his green eyes became clouded with insane hatred and his sharp fangs were dripping with venomous acid. What was once an innocent looking young man had now taken the form of a vast extension of the bottled up fear and dissonance that has tortured his soul for as long as he lived. Lacking the harmony and solace that he was never exposed to in the past, Tarensei blended to become one with the atmosphere surrounding him, carrying him far and farther away into the swooshing gentle rain breeze.

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The End of Chapter 12. 


	13. Shinobi of Lightspeed! Tarensei Attacks

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 13: Shinobi of Lightspeed - Tarensei Attacks!

A heavy fog was draped over the lands of the mountain ranges far up in the east as far as the human naked eye could see. Like a massive blanket it had barely kept anything visible from above the infinite sea of grayness that shrouded the tall stone pointed structure that stretched towards the skies. The further it ran along, the less fog appeared until the lush warm climate of a volcanic habitat swept through the air. The mist almost appeared as if it was clearing a direct path for the single silver haired figure walking upon it, dividing itself into an open triangular line until it disappeared from view.

Inuyasha approached a small open valley just in between two large mountains, having scoured a great distance to arrive there on foot alone. With hot fiery coals embedded into the grounds like a searing oven, Inuyasha effortlessly crossed onto the main rocky road that ran right into the mouth of an open cave. Inuyasha felt a shred of annoyance as every time he had to come to this place, it was always for a problem that needed to be solved. Yet Inuyasha had clearly known that this was possibly the biggest problem that he could lug into the hands of the man who awaited inside the cave.

"Hey, Toutousai!" Inuyasha greeted loudly upon his entrance into the cave. The old sword smith was calmly sitting at his usual spot banging his hammer onto the blade of a recently created sword. Thinning out the sharp blade he then gently lifted it into the air and proceeded to blow a long stream of fire from his mouth onto it as he usually did. The daily chore of making swords was nothing more than simple thought to the old man, as he has been nearly doing the same kind of work for as many years as his rusty brain could recall.

Turning around immediately upon hearing Inuyasha's voice, Toutousai faced the half demon with his large bulging eyes. A lost kind of expression doused upon the man's face, he set down the heated blade and stood up.

"Inuyasha? Back so soon already? The last time you were here you told me you were on a search for some kind of plant, wasn't it? Don't tell me you've screwed up. I swear, I'm getting mighty tired of cleaning up after your mistakes all of the time. Had your father still been alive he would have extracted some strict discipline! Children these days..." Toutousai said, shaking his head.

"Cut me the old age lectures, old man. This is very serious, and I'm heavily pressed for time. Does it look like I've come all this way to play games?" said Inuyasha in a determined tone as he reached for the Tetsusaiga and pulled it loose from the band on his pants. "Its about the Tetsusaiga, and it isn't any good news, I can grant you that."

"Master Inuyasha! Is that you?" a tiny voice squeaked from out of nowhere. Inuyasha suddenly felt a small prick at the side of his neck, and instinctively he slapped that same area very hard with his hand. "Ackkkkk! And I barely... got a drink!"

"Should have known you'd be still hanging around here, Myoga. Things never change with you, does it?" Inuyasha said, narrowing his eyes as a flattened Myoga slowly fluttered down onto the center of his palm. The flea's tiny body popped back into the correct size, where it proceeded to hop up and down excitedly.

"Master Inuyasha, must you do that to me every time? I can tell you that being squashed isn't really a fun thing to experience." Myoga groaned.

"And why don't I tell you that getting your blood sucked out by a flea who runs from the slightest bit of danger isn't nothing to write home about!" Inuyasha furiously shook Myoga around in the air with his closed fist, twice as annoyed than ever.

"Ahhh! Gahhhhhhh! Forgive me, master! Please! Stoppppp!" Myoga yelled, with Inuyasha finally letting go and flicking him onto the ground like a loose pea. Regaining his bearings back, Myoga furiously dusted his clothes off. "Ahem, excuse my rude actions. But Master Inuyasha, may I be as so bold to ask what brings you back here?"

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha momentarily paused before speaking in earnest. "Listen, I'll just cut to the chase. The Tetsusaiga..." Inuyasha went on, explaining the entire situation to both Myoga and Toutousai.

"... and that's what happened as of late. No matter how hard I try, I can never seem to be able to unleash the true transformation of the Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha finally finished.

"So that explains everything! I understand now..." Toutousai said as he grasped the Tetsusaiga in his frail hands, inspecting the blade's surface. Myoga hopped up onto the old man's shoulder with several sweat drops flying from his tiny head.

"Gahhh! This is absolutely terrible! There is no way the Tetsusaiga can be repelled by its owner like this! The sword has been designed to only belong to the one strong enough to wield and exhibit its true power, so why can't Master Inuyasha use it now? Oh, this is truly a horrifying turn of events!" Myoga bawled, very upset at the current problem.

"You've hit the nail on the head with that one. But instead of telling me the obvious here, are there any ideas for what I can possibly do? I can't afford to trek on having a sword that's rendered useless in battle, you know." Inuyasha said solemnly, a glint of hope stirring in his voice that the old man was able to help.

"Hmmm... this is a very serious problem, indeed. But from what I can tell... I believe that..." Toutousai said slowly while rubbing his chin. Inuyasha leaned in closer with his arms crossed, more than eager to hear what the smith had to say. Myoga also froze with anticipation, as the cave fell silent to everyone's ears upon Toutousai's supposed solution.

"... To be perfectly honest with you, I have no clue where to go from here. I'm more stumped than a piece of old tree bark." Toutousai scratched his head, his blank expression never changing. Both Inuyasha and Myoga face faulted hard onto the ground, their prayers completely crushed. Inuyasha sat back up and punched Toutousai in the head, knocking the old man down and causing a large bump to appear on his wrinkled head.

"DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS IF YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY TO BEGIN WITH!" Inuyasha yelled, his anger seething. Toutousai fixed himself back upright, seemingly unfazed by the half demon's powerful punch.

"Ahem!" Toutousai cleared his throat, then continued on. "Before you start going off on another one of your typical rants, keep in mind that this is a sword smith you're talking to, not some sort of a magician! I can take one good look at the Tetsusaiga and tell you straight off the bat that its very difficult to determine a proper way to release the aura lock on the blade itself."

"Terrific. I guess I should have known that deep down from the start, but I guess I ended up placing my own wishful thinking ahead of reality." Inuyasha muttered while clenching his fists.

"If you truly wish to unlock Toukijin's evil aura, both you and I know that you will have to find a way to do just that." Toutousai replied, carefully sheathing the faintly glowing Tetsusaiga and setting back onto the ground between Inuyasha and himself.

"That's the reason why I came to you in the _first_ place! Don't you get it by now, old man? You're really being a big help right about now." Inuyasha remarked sarcastically.

"Say all you want, Inuyasha. In all of my life while I could have forged many a sword, I can tell you right now that not even in a hundred years... or even a _thousand_ that I could ever physically break down the elements of a blade itself. With the kind of raw power that Sesshoumaru's Toukijin seeps, I can't begin to imagine how to rid the kind of aura it can create without taking the risk of destroying the Tetsusaiga."

"Then let me intercept from here." Myoga chimed into the conversation. "From what Master Inuyasha has told us from his previous battle with Sesshoumaru, if both the Tetsusaiga and the Toukijin have indeed become locked in a distant power struggle it is no surprise that both the Bakuryuuha and Toukijin's energy overrode each other by some means. While the Bakuryuuha is definitely the Tetsusaiga's strongest attack, my guess is the Toukijin remained unaffected by its blast. However on Master Inuyasha's end, the Tetsusaiga was the one to fully partake in the loss. Provided that the Toukijin's energy rays constantly brush against the Tetsusaiga enough times, the rays must have broke through and affected the sword... thus putting this evil aura to seal the power within." Myoga said as he hopped onto the scabbard.

"That does make sense. Judging from what happened, Sesshoumaru probably wasn't even aware of the case right after I had attacked him with the Bakuryuuha. I guess I was pretty lucky to have gotten dragged out of the fight by Miroku and the others... as I probably would have been put at a major stalemate if I couldn't use the Tetsusaiga any further to defend myself." Inuyasha admitted, thinking back to the exact moment of when he and Sesshoumaru had both drew their swords at each other simultaneously.

"With this aura cleanly surrounding the sword, not even power lent from the heavens could revert it back to its normal form. Its not even fit for any kind of battle." Toutousai nodded.

"What's stranger still is that little by little I can transfer some energy in contribution to transforming the sword, but with that strong electrical current repelling the majority of it there's not really much of a point for me to use it in the first place. Not even in a desperate situation." Inuyasha sighed in frustration.

"Unfortunately, that is correct. No matter how much you attempt to do that, there's an off chance you could still transform the sword but it will not quite pack enough of the right punch to slay your enemies. Not meaning to seem so negative, but you would be lucky to even cut through a piece of wood or pierce another's flesh." Myoga concluded.

"So tell me this, isn't there virtually _anything_ I could do to get rid of this goddamned aura for good?" Inuyasha further pressed. Myoga closed his eyes and folded his four arms, thinking as hard as he could. About few moments later, his eyes suddenly flashed open.

"Wait! It just hit me! Why of course, why didn't I think of this sooner!" Myoga squeaked. "The only possible way to return the Tetsusaiga back to normal again is to simply have a similar collision like he did with Sesshoumaru's Toukijin. Except this time with a different offending property altogether!"

"Huh? Come again? You're not making much sense as usual." Inuyasha asked.

"Umm... to be more clear, what I mean is the offending energy has to be of a holy element. Basically from my educated guess, a dash of holy energy is the only chance you have at ridding of the aura that is concealing the Tetsusaiga... destroying it just the same and therefore giving you full control of the blade again." Myoga said, feeling idiotic for the fact that the idea had not hit him anytime sooner.

"I have to hand it to you, Myoga. You're a genius. But there's one problem. How in the HELL am I supposed to do that? Do I LOOK like a sorcerer to you?" Inuyasha barked. "Just like always, your so-called bright ideas always have a flaw somewhere along the line."

"Yikes! But... but Master Inuyasha, that is the only solution that's feasible enough to try out, but other than that I can tell you the truth that I have no clue as to where to find that kind of energy. You have to at least grant me that much thanks for even thinking of that alone! Please forgive me!" Myoga yelped, running to hide behind Toutousai's back.

"For once I finally get some decent information from you and yet I have no way to carry it out!" Inuyasha stood up, knocked Toutousai out of the way and grabbed Myoga, shaking the flea around in a very violent manner.

"Ahhhhh! That's all I know! Honest! Honessssssttttttt!" Myoga cried, until Inuyasha finally let go, flicking the little flea aside into the stone wall. "Ackkk! Why am I always the one to get the most injuries around here?"

"Well, from here on out the only solution is the best solution I guess." Inuyasha said as he took the Tetsusaiga and reattached the sheath to his side. Leaving the cave, he stopped and turned around one last time to Toutousai and Myoga. "Without a source of holy energy I can consider the Tetsusaiga rather useless to me for the time being. But I won't give up. I'm confident that I'll find some way to deal with this problem." Inuyasha said, storming out of the cave in a huff.

"Wait! Oh, Master Inuyasha!" Myoga called, getting up from the ground. However it was too late as Inuyasha was already long gone from the area.

"Leave him be, Myoga. The boy can be brash most of the time, but he at least always gets the job done whenever it presents itself. I'm going to have to give my greatest wishes that he finds that holy energy to restore the Tetsusaiga in time. Amazing how bad things always seem to happen at the worst times." Toutousai commented.

"Yes, and in addition to his search for the Ringenkai Plant to help aid Kagome's severe poisoning, this will put a great deal of decision making on Inuyasha's part." Myoga said forlornly, standing at the entrance of the cave and watching the silhouette of his master fading away into the distance.

As time passed, Inuyasha was soon treading his way through the mountainside. Placing himself back on track to head in the northern direction, his mind was racked with misplaced thoughts and various events that led up until now. Leaping from cliff to the cliff and sliding down steep rocky hills and coming ever so closer to ground level, Inuyasha could not stop himself from thinking of the poor disposition he was placed in.

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"This is the worst disposition I could ever be placed in at this point. While I now know how to get rid of the aura on Tetsusaiga's blade, where exactly do I plan on finding the exact kind of energy that could cleanse it away? How pointless! Always getting to the answers only for it to lead to many more questions! Could it get any more worse at this rate?" Inuyasha grimaced while his thoughts remained scattered and lost, eager to find a saving grace to his fresh growing tree of problems. A mental image of Myoga flashed before him.

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"Basically from my educated guess, a dash of holy energy is the only chance you have at ridding of the aura that is concealing the Tetsusaiga... destroying it just the same and therefore giving you full control of the blade again." Myoga said...

Inuyasha shook his head, his awareness becoming crystal clear again the moment he hit the very foot of the mountains, landing with an effortlessly daunting fall. The palm of his hand gently pressed against the hard terra firma, its cool surface feeling soothing to the very touch of his half breed produced skin.

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"Yes, I already get the idea. Now the only question that remains is HOW." Inuyasha gave one last lingering thought as he took a swift run ahead into the swerving shower of raindrops that blasted its way into his sensitive face. As he knew it, it wasn't long before Inuyasha had arrived back into the pale green scenery he was so normally accustomed to. Coming out onto a small plain, Inuyasha's spirit felt as if it were paralyzed by the oncoming rushing rain that slapped onto his body bit by bit and little by little. He slowed himself down to a moderate walking pace and stopped directly in the middle of a small plain, his gaze long ago lost into the grey and white clouds above.

"I honestly don't know what to do next. But time is working against me right now, and if I want to get to the Ringenkai Plant in time to save Kagome I'm going to have to make this search the first priority. I can't go off trying to make the Tetsusaiga useable again if I'm over pressured to still catch up with Miroku and the others." Inuyasha spoke to himself in a low voice. "While I'm beginning to have less confidence about my next move, I made a dead set promise that I was going to protect Kagome no matter what happens. And I'm not going to back down for anyone or anything."

A brief flash of white light flickered in the sky, sending a shocking jolt of lightning and startling the drums of anyone within earshot. As nature would permit, the fast lightning streak was soon followed up by the further darkening of the skies and an even heavier sheet of rain than before. With the weather not showing any kind of sign of letting up with its torrential winds of foreshadowing, Inuyasha immediately broke into real time and took cover into the opening of a bamboo forest nearby, seeking shelter from the freezing hail of water.

"Brrr... I'm sorry I even asked if things could any worse. Had I'd been human I'd probably come down with some sort of lagging cold." Inuyasha shivered, kicking out his feet while wiping off the loose droplets on his red clothing. With this being his usual distraction, he found himself emerging onto a lone and dry path that was cleanly lined up by a vast row of bamboo trees all around. The farther that he walked, the wider the forest became with several large pools of rainwater displayed on the dirt ground, going as deep as three feet due to the land erosion.

Hundreds of leaking water sources poured down from the field of green leaves from the trees above, contributing to the source of the puddles' origin. However a mysterious wave of ominous darkness filled the entire forest the deeper Inuyasha was drawn into it, and with that the senses of both his nose and eyes had detected something in the very eye of the black pigment that shrouded itself around his body.

"Hold on a moment! There's a peculiar scent wavering in the air..." Inuyasha stopped short, taking a light sniff. He then ground his teeth in response, realizing that something was awry. "I knew there wasn't something right about this forest at all. I'm sensing a heavy presence... yet the scent seems to be misleading. It smells exactly like... a fresh rose? What the hell is going on here?"

Inuyasha was puzzled as much as he was suspicious, his amber eyes peering into the black void. His demon senses allowed him to draw in an outline of a single figure standing alone. With the mysterious one having their back turned while shrouded in the pitch black zone that seemed to reach out to grab Inuyasha's immediate attention, the half demon's suspicions were correct as he witnessed a light whisk of rose petals float in a circular motion by the slender person's clothed legs.

"Ha ha ha... so you must be the infamous Inuyasha I've heard so much about on short notice." the person said, stylishly spinning around in a half pirouette and making his lengthy hakama blow aside in the air. The darkness around the questionable male had then lifted, making Inuyasha's vision more visible to see the one facing him.

With a steady flow of steamy mist replacing the former blackness, the figure's appearance had revealed that of Tarensei. His eyelids once closed now popped open and his striking emerald pupils were exposed to the surreal image of the white haired half demon he had anticipating to meet for the longest. Sullen with a low volume with giggle like laughter, Inuyasha was already annoyed with the stranger's mystifying allure.

__

"No... not a woman. A man! That and something tells me he's not a regular human happening to take a stroll through here, of all places." Inuyasha thought. "That's right, and just who do you happen to be? How do you exactly know me?" the half demon barked defensively.

"Hmmm, now that isn't a way to talk to a someone who considers you for your hand in possible marriage is it? Tarensei replied softly.

"From your joker looks, I can tell you're not here to have a friendly chat. So quit the acting. Your scent may be that of a defenseless child but your demeanor says completely otherwise. As if you could've fooled me in the first place." Inuyasha said, hunching downwards at a snail's pace while placing his right hand onto the handle of the Tetsusaiga.

"Indeed, you're correct! You certainly don't hold back on your perception, but since you too are obviously experienced in doing battle that would be quite pointless to mention." Tarensei smirked. "But we're not here for idle chitchat. As much as I'd like to dabble in the various subjects of the stewed peach we call life, case in point I have come to test your strength. In other words, to find out if you are worth the trouble to eliminate."

"I still haven't a clue as to who you are exactly, pretty boy. But if its a fight you want, then I haven't any other choice but to send you back to whatever hole you came crawling out of." Inuyasha scowled, still holding his ground.

Tarensei smiled in return, taking a pose similar to the dog demon's. "I'm quite happy that you're agreeing to do battle, my friend. Not only you're handsome but your quite chivalrous as well! Oh, and where are my manners? I didn't answer your question. My name is Tarensei. Any other information I oblige to withhold... strictly remaining confidential if you were to ask any further."

"I don't think that'll be for long, once I beat the rest of it out your bloody corpse!" Inuyasha shouted, as he sprung forward and attempted to slash Tarensei directly across the chest with his claw. But Tarensei instantly disappeared from his location, leaving Inuyasha swiping at nothing but thin streak lines.

"What the!" Inuyasha said as he caught his footing and hit the ground. He spun around to see the purple haired wonder standing from behind. Tarensei's right arm was crossed and hidden beneath the sleeve of his gi, while the other remained limp at his side. He gave a cocky grin once again, making Inuyasha clearly irritated.

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"He's fast! There was no way he had any ample time to dodge my attack so quickly. He's definitely not an ordinary demon. I can just forget about fighting a regular human, or else I would've torn him to shreds before he could even move." Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Don't mean to disappoint you, but I don't plan on turning this into a wild goose chase. If you're serious about fighting, then you'd best stand still and fight like a true swordsman."

"Oh, but I _am_ serious Inuyasha. I just wanted to start things out with a little spark of fire. Or should I say a brush of roses? Don't get so mad so early in the game. The fun's about to begin soon." Tarensei said this while reaching into the inside pocket of his gi. Inside his ivory palm lay some neatly trimmed rose petals. Raising his palm to his soft red lips, he gently blew them out towards Inuyasha.

"What's he planning now!" Inuyasha said to himself. His eyes caught on quick to see the rose petals float like magic into the air and suddenly whisk themselves to form a spinning circle of light pink. Catching on quick, Inuyasha rolled to his left to avoid the mini cyclone. _"Those aren't ordinary petals! I can sense the aura alone just from these things!"_

Inuyasha cut it too close, but evaded the majority of the petals. However he was not quick enough as he recovered from the roll. At least four petals zinged by both of his legs, their razor sharp edges cutting deep through Inuyasha's tough skin. Blood easily seeped out and splashed down onto the ground, staining the red of his pants. "Gyahhhh! I was right... somehow he must've used his demon power to sharpen those things in order to kill his targets. Now I have to be more careful..." Inuyasha muttered, realizing that the gashes on either side of his legs had stung him deeper than he anticipated.

"How disappointing." Tarensei shook his head while pouting. "I honestly expected you to be a little quicker on the draw than that, but then again my rose petal attacks tend to catch people off guard. But as for you, I won't be so quick to pass judgement too soon. I can already feel the unnerving tingling of a soon to be fantastic battle!"

"Nnnghhh... you won't be having fun much longer after I'm through with this fight. Your annoying banter is more than enough to give me a reason to kill you." Inuyasha glared while rising back to his feet.

"You've certainly got a lot of spunk. Friskiness even. I like that in a man!" Tarensei beckoned, trying to verbally give Inuyasha more gumption to fight. _"Yes! This is exactly what I've been asking for. After over five hundred years of imprisonment, this could very well be the most interesting and glorious kind of fight I've had yet. But I'll see..."_ he thought.

"You done talking, Tarensei? Because I've had it up to here with your nonsensical talk!" Inuyasha said, mentally preparing himself for the next attack.

"I beg to differ. I'm not the type to hold back my own strength if by any means to annihilate my enemies. But to be courteous, enough with the light talk. Let us begin for real this time." Tarensei announced, at last drawing out his masamune. Without a word more, he then dashed forward in a streak of instant light and disappeared into thin air.

The sounds of a sword slashing through thin wind repeated itself over and over as the bamboo trees surrounding the two warriors had started to collapse and crumble down with loud crashes, almost in unison with the crackling of thunder that popped in the cloudy skies above. Inuyasha held one arm up, bracing himself for an attack until he realized what was happening.

__

"Wait a second! What's he doing? He must be trying to confuse me! His speed is simply so immense at that! It's almost as if I can barely track his movements. He's way faster than Kouga or even Sesshoumaru in terms of speed on both legs, that's for sure..." Inuyasha's mind raced, his amber eyes zigzagging all around to try to sense where exactly Tarensei was amidst the falling trees. _"There's no doubt that this guy's a demon, judging from the insane aura I've felt the moment I walked into this forest. But the real question I still want to know is, what is he exactly after?"_

As Inuyasha finished his last thought, he saw a rather large tree begin to fall down towards his location. "No time for questions..." the half demon jumped out of harm's way. However he was only leaping deeper into the forest as the greenery surrounding him continued to fall around in several places. This visual distraction had kept Inuyasha from properly trying to detect, or at least take a decent guess as to where Tarensei exactly was. "Shit! He's moving so fast I can't even draw a scent on him! I could only do it when he's still!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Tarensei's serene laughter echoed throughout the empty hollows of the forest, seeming as if they were coming at Inuyasha in all directions. "Disoriented yet? It reminds me of an old game I used to play when I was a small child. It was called hide and go seek. And guess who's the tiger seeking the prey? ME!" Tarensei shouted, appearing right out of the blue at Inuyasha's right side, delivering a heavy slash to the shoulder.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Inuyasha groaned, the blood flying up in the air. The impact from Tarensei's brutal slash sent him sprawling to the ground. However Inuyasha pounced with a cat-like reflex back off of the ground to break his fall. "Not yet!" he shouted and jumped into the air to slash Tarensei right back, but the slender shinobi faded back into the black background before the attack could even connect.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha slashed apart a row of trees and landed back on the dirt soil, his adrenaline now heightened. "You're really beginning to piss me off! What the hell do you want from me, you bastard?" the annoyed half demon shouted. His question was only answered by the return of another flash of white light, headed straight for him.

Inuyasha leapt into the air just in time as the light hit the ground, creating a deep crater in the ground in a short but explosive burst of debris flying outward. Easily dodging the hard rocks and dirt, Inuyasha's eyes fluttered back to the area from which he formerly stood in time to spot Tarensei himself standing in the middle of the shower of dirt.

"You can't dodge two attacks at once! Try this on for size! HAH! HAH HAAAAAAH!" Tarensei yelled, swooshing his masamune through the air about ten times. The energy seaming from his blade separated and flew through the air directly at Inuyasha. The width and sheer size of the energy blades alone was almost impossible to evade due to the trajectory and speed at which they were coming. Inuyasha was hit by at least seven out of the ten slashes, his red kimono being ripped into ribbons and a volley of demon blood spurting from his additional open wounds.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Inuyasha yelled, his body shooting like a comet backwards into new section of the forest. He tumbled and crashed hard onto the ground, landing directly on his left side and barely mustering up the rest of his strength to get back on his feet. _"This is getting ridiculous! He's so fast my eyes can barely track a mere afterimage no matter how hard I try. His aura alone weaves in and out of this place it makes it difficult to tell exactly when and where he's coming from to make an attack. What's worse, I can't even use his scent to pinpoint him out. I didn't think a fight this bad couldn't happen at even a worse time..."_ Inuyasha thought hastily.

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha seethed, forcing himself to stand back up. His clothes were splattered with blood from the two vertical wounds that were on either sides of his chest and legs, but he refused to stumble.

"Well, Inuyasha it seems like you're heading in the direction of a decent stalemate. But since your inquiring mind is probably repeating the question of my origin over and over again, I'll leak the info you're seeking. You see, not only am I here to take your life, I'm also looking for a certain jewel shard that you're holding as a secondary objective of mine." Tarensei said as he reappeared a few feet away from Inuyasha, staring ahead dauntedly.

"What? Grrrr... why am I not surprised? Gyah!" Inuyasha cried as he sank down onto one knee, experiencing a sharp numbing pain shooting up his right leg. "Nnngh! What the? I can't move my leg as much all of a sudden! What the hell is going on? It's paralyzed!"

"Hmmm... So you've taken notice of my poison tipped rose petals. It usually takes a little longer for much stronger demons to take effect but I knew you wouldn't last more than at least six to seven minutes. But struggle all you want, it only makes you that much more attractive. I always did appreciate determination in a man." Tarensei smiled a little, standing in place. "However I can't help but find it strange that no matter how much I goad you, you have yet to actually draw your sword. Maybe you're holding back your true power and you're toying with me? The code of a warrior certainly has degenerated over the years."

"Hmph! Think what you want, pretty boy. I'm not even warmed up yet!" Inuyasha boasted, his mind racing. _"Calling a bluff is the only choice I have, really. I know the Tetsusaiga is useless in its current form since its power is locked within. A bare bladed sword like this would only do wonders to slice bread but not a demon's flesh."_ he thought.

"Well you have tact, I have to at least give you that. But I simply implore you to go all out if you even plan on surviving this battle. In my honorable view it would be pointless to slay a supposed half-demon of such great strength and take the jewel shards. I was taught better than that as a shinobi. The code alone defies such kinds of actions and plainly shadowing any kind of proper honor." the green eyed warrior said while shrugging.

"Heh! An obviously bloodthirsty guy like you actually has honor! What kind of stupid codes are you learning from?" Inuyasha scoffed, with Tarensei simply smirking in response. _"Grr... I can't get angry right now, or else it'll only make my rational thinking even worse. Clearly Tarensei has the upper hand here mainly because of his speed. Wait a second! I think I may have an idea. It's a long shot, but since I can't use the sword I don't have much of a choice."_ he thought.

"I'm assuming at the very most that you already know the norm is - if you desire to know more about my intentions, I won't be saying much else unless you put up a good fight. I expect the best if you choose to do so." Tarensei stated.

"Bring it on, then!" Inuyasha smirked, narrowing his eyes.

"So be it! HAAAAA!" Tarensei dashed forward, his masamune outstretched to the side. Instead of opting to slash Inuyasha head on, Tarensei began his circular dashing once again, disappearing and moving at an even faster rate than before. The dust kicking up from the shinobi's feet were causing small tornado like winds to rise into the air, storming all over Inuyasha from any random direction.

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"Good. Now the only thing I have left to rely on is perfect timing..." Inuyasha thought, bracing himself up for what he was about to do. He lowered his claw to the upper right area of his chest while ignoring the dust trails swerving in front of his eyes.

It was almost as if time had froze, and with the tiny hairs on the back of Inuyasha's neck and each nerve radiating throughout his body, the tension swarming through every passing second stood still in preparation for the conclusion of this unexpected battle.

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The End of Chapter 13.


	14. Beauty and Blood

Inuyasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale

The Ringenkai Plant

Chapter 14: Beauty and Blood

It was moving on well past the eleventh hour of the night, the gray skies slightly parting as if it were a curtain drawing to introduce the final moments of a very intense battle taking place in the forest below. It's noise and fortuitous ambience secluded by the average human earshot, if any were to be found in the first place, were only repeating in the heads of two half-demons scrambling to determine who would be the victor during their skirmish. Only in a mere matter of minutes was that about to occur and only one of them would walk away in peace.

"Getting dizzy yet? Your eyes can't keep up can they?" Tarensei teased with annoying temptation while he zoomed around Inuyasha in a perfect unbroken circle, with nearly several afterimages of the purple haired pretty boy dauntingly attempting to drive his opponent crazy.

_"Good. Now the only thing I have left to rely on is perfect timing..."_ Inuyasha thought, bracing himself up for what he was about to do. He lowered his claw to the upper right area of his chest while ignoring the dust trails swerving in front of his eyes.

Inuyasha had completely blocked out Tarensei's taunting at this point, putting all of his focus into this one plan he had cooking up. He knew the crucial moment was going to happen any second now and just as he finished he last thought, Tarensei at last made his strike - appearing directly from behind.

_"I only have a split second to do this..."_ Inuyasha thought one last time, plunging his claw right into his chest causing blood to flow out. He sensed the break in the direction of the air to sense Tarensei's position and spun around using his instinct to flick his arm outward. _"HIJIN KETSUSOU!"_ Inuyasha yelled while throwing three blades of blood which directly splashed onto Tarensei's clothing. The surprise impact however did not stop Tarensei from still flying forward to directly connect a slashing horizontal blow to Inuyasha's torso. Inuyasha was sent crashing into the ground several feet away, creating a small rocky trench.

"Oh, come on now. Did you really think that kind of attack you just performed was going to stop me? I'm not exactly a fan of demon blood... and you've nearly ruined a perfectly good outfit!" Tarensei looked sadly at magenta gi, lightly touching the blood. It trickled down his fingers but the bishounen thought nothing of it, looking back up. "But it does not matter. Blood being spilled during a battle is a necessity. Even if your opponent injures himself for misunderstandable naught. Heh heh!"

"Didn't use the blood to attack you, idiot..." Inuyasha whispered while smirking a bit. He knew where he was going with this and it only made the situation all the more advantageous to himself.

"If that honestly was supposed to be an attack I hardly felt it. Almost like a bee attempting to sting a dragon. Haven't you learned anything yet, dear Inuyasha? Didn't I encourage you to put out all of you power, and this is the end result? If this is the kind of strength this Naraku fellow fears so much from you, then I can't imagine that baboon barbarian any stronger..." Tarensei shrugged lightly, his eyes narrowed.

Inuyasha's attention shot up high upon hearing Naraku's name. "Wait a moment, did you say Naraku? So it was him that sent you to find me? Heh, should've known! Wherever there's some crazed demon running around there's that bastard lurking somewhere not too far away like the cowardly roach he is!" he said with vehemence while rising up to one knee. "So let me take a wild guess - you're another one of his detachments?"

"Detachments? What do you mean by that? Heh heh, you're not making that much sense, my friend. You have your information all wrong. I am not in liege with Naraku in any way, shape, or form other than by an iffy verbal contract. I'm part of a much grander scheme. I'm one of the five members of the Shinkantetsu, a powerful group of demons that had existed for nearly over five hundred years. Of course we were only recently revived by Naraku himself with Shikon Jewel which had broken the seal we were placed under by a high priestess ages ago. Hope I'm not going too fast for you." Tarensei explained, holding his sword up and placing it against the back of his neck.

"Don't bother going any further. So Naraku took you out of your imprisonment, whoever the hell you are and sent you after me because he couldn't do the dirty work himself as usual." Inuyasha concluded.

"You hit the nail on the head right there. I know you're a smart man. Of course since the majority of us weren't exactly interested in fighting a half-demon we which presumed to be weak which I know you're not, I leaped at the chance to confront you first. Plus your name alone intrigued me to the point where I couldn't ignore this gift horse." Tarensei replied. "And also, Naraku also provided us some collateral as well." he said, taking out the jewel shard that hung around his neck and dangled it for Inuyasha to see.

"One of the jewel shards!" Inuyasha exclaimed in surprise. "That's typical of him. Giving you a piece of the jewel to give your sorry ass a little power boost, I'd say."

"Gasp! How did you ever guess that? Quite right you are, but I too much fancy this single beautiful shard to use it for such a barbaric or should I say in my allegiance's case, unhonorable cause?" Tarensei replied, putting the shard back inside the collar of his gi.

_"What? You mean he's not planning on actually using it? That's strange. Most evil demons straight out scramble just for a tiny shard let alone seeking the entire jewel itself. There's something different about this Tarensei, that's for sure. It's almost as if he's planning on ending this fight for his own affairs. Not very surprising since he seems to be so independent, not to mention the way he speaks of this Shinkantetsu. Anyway, the sooner I finish this, the better."_ Inuyasha thought quickly, fully raising himself on both feet.

"Again, I tire of this talk. Now that this boring monologue is over why don't we continue this without any further interruption?" Tarensei said, his facial expression changing to the more eerie and demonic form. His hair shot up into tendrils along with his fangs bearing downward with that same clear acid, only paving the way for his eyes to cloud up with that same hatred he had put into his strength when slaying his enemies. "Because as I clearly see it, you won't be around much longer to consider dealing with Naraku or any of my fellow comrades! Get ready!"

Tarensei shot towards Inuyasha, and faked as if he was going to perform another attack. Inuyasha braced himself for the impact, but the bishounen disappeared into the air and started reappearing in repeated streaks of shadow-like images all around in a 360 arc. Inuyasha stood in place right in the center with the trees behind him having been sliced down in unison. The collapsing trunks that hit the ground served only as mere distraction, but Inuyasha remained focus on only one sense - his sense of smell.

"You may think you have me cornered like some kind of rat, but I've got news for you!" Inuyasha leaped to his right instantly sensing that Tarensei was going to attack from the direction. The half-demon drove his claw hard through the air, scoring a direct hit right into Tarensei's chest.

"Arghhhh!" Tarensei's body smacked onto the wet ground and bounced off of it like a rag doll before flipping over to regain his balance. "Just a lucky shot!" he yelled, pulling off the same kind of disappearing attack he did before. Inuyasha just smirked and readied his claws again, waiting in place for a few moments until he sensed Tarensei stopping to attack from above.

"Raaaaaahhhhhh!" Inuyasha jumped to meet Tarensei in the air to deliver three hard slashes followed by a powerful spinning kick. Blood freely flew out of Tarensei's now torn gi, and his face was bruised upon Inuyasha's foot making contact with it. The strength was so great that he found himself flying backwards into the trunk of a tree. Blood spewed out of his mouth and sputtered onto the grass as he sank on his knees, holding his chest wounds with one hand and grasping his masamune sword in the other.

"Nnnnghhh!" Tarensei groaned, wiping the blood from his lips on his sleeve. He clenched his sword, his mind racing. _"No! How could he have known where I was planning my next attack? He wasn't able to the first few times. I thought he was getting lucky at first but I can't afford to take this for granted... it doesn't make any sense..."_

"What's wrong? Suddenly lost your touch, Tarensei!" Inuyasha said with belittlement and immediately rushing forward at his enemy. Tarensei flinched but his reaction time was fast enough for him to avoid the surprise attack. Inuyasha's claws only struck wood instead of demon flesh, making yet another innocent grown seedling of nature crash onto the mossy ground. However Tarensei took this opportunity to do a teleportation strike, appearing directly behind Inuyasha and bringing his masamune sword downward.

"Thought you had me?" Tarensei yelled. But his eyes widened when he realized his strike was only seconds late as he witnessed Inuyasha do a smooth turn around spin.

"SANKON TESSOU!" Inuyasha yelled, a flash of six yellow streaks slashing through the wind and carving their way into Tarensei's face and torso. A huge gout of blood sprayed up into the air and splashed onto either of the demons' clothing. Not soon after that Tarensei's almost rigid body slammed onto the familiar dewy grass again, dropping his sword and clattering about a foot away. A cough of pain and frustration echoed into the silent sky, and the purple haired shinobi cradled his chest with one hand. He turned onto his side with the burning pang of pain only growing greater within.

"Yarrrrrghhhhhhhh!" Tarensei expressed, his eyes twitching. He was then hit with the idea that perhaps he had underestimated Inuyasha after all. Even if it seemed that the dog demon wasn't drawing his sword for reasons unknown, he could certainly hold his own without using it. And the fact that he was able to avoid and counter each attack Tarensei could muster the tides were definitely being turned the other way. _"But... but how? He's so strong... I can barely even get up after that! I don't understand..."_ he thought.

Tarensei shuffled over to grab his sword while coughing up another spat of blood. The moment the blood spoiled the grass that lay beside him, a spark hit his mind. _"The blood! How could I have not realized it sooner?"_ his thoughts raced back to when Inuyasha had used the Hijin Ketsusou to spray the blood onto his clothes. _"Naturally! Inuyasha is a dog demon, so he was able to sniff his blood on me whenever I used my tactics on him. He was able to easily tell when and where I was going to attack him - and only earlier did my own blood hitting my clothes made it twice as easy for me to be detected. No wonder he was able to catch me so quickly a moment ago!"_

Tarensei struggled to stand, doing his best to ignore the great deal of pain. He didn't know what to do at this point now that he had been cornered into a stalemate. Inuyasha stood there menacingly, taking his stance.

"Not so tough and witty, are we? It looks like you're begging for mercy with that fearful look in your eyes. Like that fake ass tough exterior could fool me. You guessed wrong and I'll only make your death twice as painful. The first is for wasting my time, and the second is for just plain pissing me off." Inuyasha threatened with high confidence.

"Heh heh..." the shinobi stood up, his face reverting back to his original handsome features. "Sure, you may have me at a seemingly violent end. But I must admit, I like you even more now that you've shown your true strength. A man who carries a sword but that can still prove himself worthy by fighting barehanded? Never has my blood raced through my veins so quickly, never have I felt such a heated torrent of adrenaline... this is one of the loveliest battles I've ever been involved with. I feel so alive after five long centuries. Perhaps you could deliver what I desire the most..." Tarensei said, flicking his sword back into his hand and dashing forward.

"See if you can keep up! It shouldn't be much of a problem for you, right?" he beckoned, zooming past Inuyasha and heading down the distance towards the outside of the forest.

"Hey! You're not going anywhere!" Inuyasha called, following the shinobi and managing to keep on the trail a few feet away.

"Since this act will come to a close, why don't I make the most of it!" Tarensei giggled weakly as he slashed the trees effortlessly with each bounding leap and dash, trying to prevent Inuyasha from catching up. They all hit the ground with a booming thud but Inuyasha was easily able to dodge and slash his way through each and every one. Tarensei did the best he could to stall his enemy but it proved useless.

A few minutes later after this game of cat and mouse, the two half-demons exited the forest at last and found themselves in a much more open area filled with knee deep ponds all around. The falling rain became a little more intense within the past half hour with the heavy pattering sound of precipitation hitting the surface of the said ponds. A single crackle of lightning hit the ground miles away over the mountains and the light foggy mist made the surroundings only that much more bleak.

It wasn't long before Tarensei had gotten his lead ahead and was successful in disappearing into the misty horizon. Inuyasha jumped down the small cliff from the edge of the forest with a groan and landed into one of the large ponds, his bare feet brushing against the gravel underneath the water. He surveyed the area as fast as he could, clenching his fists in annoyance.

"Shit! He's gone! And I can't make out a scent anymore now that's gotten away. But you'd think with those kinds of wounds he wouldn't have gotten far that much. Apparently he has." Inuyasha said to himself in a low voice, running forward with his eyes darting from side to side.

About a good twenty-five feet ahead, Tarensei was standing alone basked in the misty rain. He was desperately washing the mixed blood off of his gi and hakama, knowing that his opponent was obviously still awhile away behind. He found a bit of difficulty getting the thick red liquid off himself at first, until resorting to just ripping off the blood-stained parts off his clothing. The majority of his gi was now gone revealing his wounded torso. The Shikon Jewel shard that still hung around his neck glistened brightly in the dim light.

"Curse you, Inuyasha! Not to worry though. Your little trick can't save you now and I'll be the first to end things once and for now. My body may be scarred but my spirit still remains intact." the shinobi said, unsheathing his sword and heading back towards the direction he came from. With his incredible speed, he had spotted Inuyasha a mile away and made a dramatic reappearance. Jumping into the air, he struck the surface and sent two huge waves of water splashing off on both sides. He held up his sword in the air and brought it down, laughing softly.

"There you are, coward!" Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "So I guess running away during a fight to get a better vantage point is part of your honor code too."

"Tch! Poor misguided Inuyasha! Don't be so quick to share unneeded sarcasm." Tarensei meaningfully smiled. "Retreat can always be considered strategy... as long as it's a means of gaining the advantage over your opponent one shouldn't have qualms with such action am I correct?"

"Only because you were scared of dying." Inuyasha remarked.

"Death is inevitable. Death even marks a beautiful passage into the next world that awaits us beyond and for eternity. I do not fear it. I seek it, dear friend. I've delivered death to many a warrior during my service to the Shinkantetsu and do you know what else? When a warrior comes to terms that he is not afraid to kill, there comes a time when he himself wonders what death is like. How does it feel? Will it be painful or painless? Will he even exist afterwards for the sins he's committed? All these questions race through the mind of the curious. Maybe even the innocent." Tarensei replied. "But those who only fear it are too weak. If they were strong to be born, they should be strong enough to die."

Inuyasha remained silent, his intention focused on ending the battle. Though his enemy's words gave him something to consider, he wasn't about to let his guard down. It wasn't until the end of Tarensei's sentence did he notice something was wrong.

_"Damn! That's why he escaped... he purposely did it so he could was the blood off himself. My instinct was right, I only could faintly catch his scent just before he showed himself again. It might not be enough for me to follow up on his attacks, that's the bad part. So now what I am going to do? Can I even find another way to beat him?"_ Inuyasha thought, shaking his head when giving a brief stare at his unusable Tetsusaiga. _"I can't give up. Not now. Kagome's counting on me..."_

"I'm going all out now! No more games. And I mean it this time! The grand finale begins now!" Tarensei shouted. He disappeared in the blitz of a blink and several waves of crashing tidal waves flew around Inuyasha. In comparison to the scuffle in the forest, fighting in the pond ended up being a more tense and harder bout because the huge waves of water was a distraction for Inuyasha in terms of sight and the now pointless sense of smell.

"Hyaaaaaaah!" Tarensei's shadow appeared behind a wave of water as he sent three sharp blades of energy through it. They cleanly cut their way through the liquid and struck Inuyasha, hitting him in the legs and abdomen.

"Arghhhhhh!" Inuyasha groaned, sliding against the watery surface. Blood leaked out into the water but was quickly washed away upon another blade of energy. But this time it was a single one but was larger and packed more power. Inuyasha was unable to dodge it, getting knocked into the air with a huge explosion of bluish light upon contact. Inuyasha's red gi was ripped and blood oozed down his wounds before he hit the ground hard again, landing face first into the water.

"This is... too much! With all these attacks coming at me it's impossible to do anything." Inuyasha said to himself, somehow successful in leaping out of the way of four out of seven energy blade attacks. The remaining three stuck Inuyasha on both his arms and his left leg. He staggered around in a daze, his vision becoming hazy from the confusing tidal waves and streaks of energy. It was almost as if he was in the center of a spinning tornado, the insane laughter of Tarensei taunting him endlessly.

"Didn't I tell you this was the end of you? I'm surprised you're still standing!" Tarensei's voice was nearly drowned in the booming noise of lightning and rain. "You can only take but so much more before you fall like the defeated warrior you are!"

"What...?" Inuyasha said, staring upwards as the waves around him became even bigger than before. He found himself trapped in the middle of a circular vortex of water, the sound of it very deafening to his ears. He could see Tarensei's shadows zooming back and forth behind the walls that the water was forming, only adding to the disorientation.

It turned out that Tarensei was using his speed to create a vortex of water to that size and caliber. The faster he ran around in a perfect circle the bigger the vortex became, until it was nearly half the size of a tornado. The wind velocity was so great that Inuyasha was picked up and whooshed away into the eye of the water tornado and was helplessly spun around in circles. Inuyasha yelled out loud, unable to gather his bearings.

"I believe this calls for the grand drop!" Tarensei said, stopping still and standing at the foot of the tornado. He created a huge slash of energy with his masamune and thrust it through the middle of the tornado, making it split apart completely. This caused the tornado to cease with a powerful watery explosion, sending Inuyasha flying back down onto the ground.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Inuyasha found himself plunging back onto the hard surface, having partially broken some ribs upon landing on his stomach. He did his best to push back the pain as best as he could with most of his strength having drained. When the air's turbulence disappeared and the sound of the rainstorm was to be heard again, Tarensei suddenly appeared in front of Inuyasha. The shinobi stared down at him, holding the tip of his sword to the dog demon's face and lifting off a few strands of hair.

"Hmph. You may not believe me, but I'm very sorrowful that I had to end things this way. But all things must face a violent finish one way or another." Tarensei said solemnly.

"Heh... then what... are you waiting for? Give it your best shot..." Inuyasha beckoned, his determination not giving in. Tarensei just smiled in response.

"Very well... I'll finish you in style..." Tarensei disappeared into the wind. Rose petals were scattered everywhere and filled the air with a sweet scent. Inuyasha used the sheath of his sword to brace himself to stand and his eyes followed Tarensei's shadow like streaks darting from place to place, ignoring the rose petals. It was then that Inuyasha took note of an important realization the moment his eyes hit the water's surface.

_"Wait a minute! The water! I couldn't follow his movements visually before because it seems like he's almost invisible to the naked eye each time... but when I look at the water I can see only his body moving. The afterimages he creates with his speed serve as the actual distraction... I may not be able to sniff him out like I was doing before, but if I keep my eyes on his reflection..."_ Inuyasha's thoughts trailed off.

"Prepare to die, Inuyasha! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Tarensei shouted and plowed himself directly above Inuyasha's position, intending to aim downward with this sword. But his eyes widened when he saw the unsheathed Tetsusaiga fly up into the air directly towards him. "WHAT? How did he...!"

Tarensei's words were cut short instantly as the Tetsusaiga cut deep into his chest. Even though the blade was dull, somehow it pierced his chest thanks to the sheer speed Inuyasha threw it at. The shinobi's entire body then was mysteriously paralyzed as result, preventing him from moving. He dropped his masamune sword in mid-air and the last sight he even saw before trying to sort out what exactly happened was broken by these next words...

"HIJIN KETSUSOU!" Inuyasha yelled, leaping up and slicing his claws twice through Tarensei's body with the very last ounce of his strength he had left. Tarensei's mouth opened in in a frozen state of horror and unspeakable pain but no sound was uttered before his face was consumed in a red explosion of demon blood.

Tarensei's mutilated body flew several feet back, his sword falling out of sight and his left arm and right leg having been severed cleanly. He hit the water with a huge splash and in mere moments he was soaking in an immense pool of his own blood, his once handsome but now damaged face drenched with the red liquid. He could barely speak with the initial shock and paralysis taking over his body, and the Tetsusaiga toppled over and landed beside him.

"Hmph! It's over. Finally." Inuyasha landed softly, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He was battered, bloodied and beaten but by some amazing feat of a small second wind Inuyasha managed to haul himself over to the dying purple haired bishounen.

Inuyasha leaned down and reached for his sword. As he did this, that was when his gaze met with Tarensei's. The shinobi cocked his head weakly a few inches, giving a weak but meaningful laugh. He then spoke.

"Heh heh... heh... how did you... know? Before... I die... please tell me." Tarensei narrowed his eyes with inquiring curiosity. He had almost missed the feeling of being paralyzed, as once that it was gone it was replaced by the immense sensation of torturing pain from his burning wounds.

"The water." Inuyasha said with light emotion. "It was the water that gave away your reflection. I didn't even take note of it until you were about to attempt to finish me off. Even the strongest kind of strategy can still fail to the smallest oversight."

"Ahhh... so right you are. My reflection, was it? I was... foolish to say the least." Tarensei's eyes shimmered in the cloudiness of the rain that washed over his bleeding remains. The storm only became stronger showing no signs of letting up anytime soon, but whooshed away long enough for the shinobi to say his final words.

"You've defeated me, Inuyasha. I was wrong about you..." he coughed. "Even though... I am about to die... I must express that I am quite happy to move onto the afterlife. As I've said before. Death I do not fear. We shouldn't fear death... rather we should fear life in itself. There are... far much bigger horrors we experience while living our short time on this planet... while therefore we can only share peace when our souls exit... into the next world."

Inuyasha was silent, listening to Tarensei's words.

"My childhood was nightmarish. I was shunned from society because I was a half demon. They didn't understand. They feared me. Feared... the unknown. I was forced to take retribution only because I was pushed into it. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I only wanted to have friends and to be loved. I didn't even know who my parents were and why I was abandoned into the rough life that could've been easily avoided. Through my strife, I took my own path. And years have passed until I only gained strength though the means of joining the Shinkantetsu. I was not weak anymore. I was strong in both body and mind. Attuned to nature and no longer ashamed for being what I was. But you know what? Despite that, there was always a part of me that felt truly alone in this world." Tarensei said softly.

Upon hearing this, Inuyasha was reminded of his own childhood. Especially of his human mother. Tarensei continued speaking.

"I... want to thank you. Even though my intentions toward you were hostile I am glad the outcome was different. But I must warn you - the other members are significantly stronger than me. Be careful in the event you run into them." Tarensei said.

"Go ahead and die. The quicker you do the sooner your suffering will end. Even if you think what you did in the past was right, it doesn't make you any better than the same humans that tortured you. You were only brought to the same level of atrocity having to resort to the violence and hate they share. In addition to that... I couldn't care less about these other guys you're mentioning. I'll give them more than a challenge they can handle if they decide to get in my way." Inuyasha said as he stood up and placed the Tetsusaiga in its sheath, fixing it in place against his belt string.

"You are... right... cough... an eye for an eye... no longer applies here, does it? I may have... regretted the past. But what I do not regret is this very moment. As a matter of fact... I embrace it wholeheartedly. Perhaps... the higher forces in the afterlife will grant me forgiveness and a much happier existence. Everlasting peace... but if I shall be punished... then so be it." Tarensei's eyes had fluttered and finally shut still, his head lightly thumping back against the water's surface. He was now dead, his body disappearing into a large but lovely puff of rose petals.

Tarensei's blood washed away into the flow of the tides and the pink petals were blown away into the gentle wind of the rainstorm, swirling past Inuyasha's face and pushing his silver hair aside. The jewel shard stayed behind, lying still and sparkling in the water. Inuyasha picked it up and put it in his pocket. Walking away in silence with his wounds having now ceased from bleeding, he turned around one last time and watched the rose petals disappear into the misty rain.

"Goodbye, Tarensei. I hope you do find peace." he said before running north. The thoughts of Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and most of all Kagome entered his mind.

_"No matter what it takes, I refuse to let anyone stand in my way no matter how strong they are. I'll save Kagome no matter what the cost, and that's a promise I intend to keep."_ Inuyasha thought before disappearing into the rain whilst heading northward.

__

The End of Chapter 14.


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